


Not a good year

by Fleppy85



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:21:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 47,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24999754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fleppy85/pseuds/Fleppy85
Summary: Sara moving in a house with Greg and becoming a friend of Sofia? All things the brunette can't imagine...first...





	Not a good year

Middle of November

Sometimes you have this feeling something is wrong, will go wrong. Sara had that feeling when she started her shift and when she found herself long on the ground at her crime scene, trying to hide from some bullets, she knew why.  
"Are you alright?" Greg asked. He was a few yards away, shielding his head.  
"Yeah." She risked an eye. For ten seconds there were no more bullets, only the screaming and yelling of the police.  
"You guys alright?" Brass came to them.  
"Yeah. What happened?" Sara got up.  
"Street gang."  
"Again?"  
He sighed. It was the second time that a street gang appeared at a crime scene and opened the fire. A drive by shooting and they hadn't gotten the responsible guys. The last time, two cars appeared at the scene, from the passenger's seat and the backseat some guys started to shoot at the police and the CSI. Nobody got hurt last time, beside a few bruises. It seemed like the shooter weren't aiming, all they wanted to do was scaring the officers and investigators. Or they were really bad shooter.  
"We've got three black and whites on them, back-up is on their way we'll get them this time."  
"Did you get the plate?"  
"There were no plates. Little fucker."  
"A car without plate is easy to spot." Greg tried to clean his shirt.  
"Hopefully. You guys wanna go on?"  
"Yeah." Sara took a look around. They had two crime scenes now. The first one, they were called in for, was a robbery gone wrong. The attacker had stabbed the victim, who was on his way to hospital and now they also had the traces of the shooting.  
"I'll close the whole street. Good luck."  
"Thanks." Greg made a grimace.  
"I'll call Gris, we can need some back-up."  
"Good luck." When they left the lab two hours ago all of their colleagues had a case. It was a busy night; Las Vegas wasn't for no reason the city with the second highest crime rate in the United States.

Warrick and Cath came along later when they finished their case and also some guys of the swing shift. Because the shooters were in cars they had a few hundred yards to cover. The police wasn't able to catch the shooter, at least not until lunch, when the graveyard guys went back to lab. They needed a rest.  
"What time do you want me back?" Greg asked Sara before they climbed in their cars.  
"Why do you ask me?" Sara laughed.  
"You're the primary, I'll do what you say."  
"I like that." Sara smirked. "Meet back at eight?"  
"Okay, I'll be there."  
"See you then." She started the car. Six hours for sleeping, not much but they had to work on the cases. They had collected a lot of evidence from the shooting and from the robbery. The victim wasn't able to give them a statement, they'd try it again tomorrow morning, and a witness didn't show up.  
Sara made the decision it wasn't the perfect day for shopping, she got some food from a fast food drive through and drove straight home.  
In front of her house were some neighbors fighting. The same couple that had daily fights. Sara was sure, one day she'd be here as a csi and one or both of them were dead. At the moment she wouldn't mind, that way there were some peace and she could sleep. And if somebody else killed them, the killer could make a little detour and kill her student neighbor too. This way she could get rid off the loud music. To be honest, most of the people in her apartment were annoying her. As soon as she had some time she'd look for a new apartment. Maybe she would take a day off for that.

Still tired she arrived at point eight in the changing room in the lab.  
"You look tired." Greg entered the room.  
"I am. There are two possibilities: I kill my neighbors or they'll kill me. I prefer the first one."  
"Bad?"  
"A fighting couple, a deaf music junkie and a senior who loves to knock on doors for some sugar. Every time I was sleeping for a few minutes somebody woke me up. I need a new apartment or they all have to leave."  
"Wanna move in with me?"  
"Greg I like you, I really like you, but we're not a couple. I thought we were over this."  
"We are." Greg smiled. "I thought more like a house mate or a house mate. When we're two we can have a look at bigger places, save some money and have some company if we feel like that."  
"I don't want a bunch of guys every weekend on my sofa."  
"I wouldn't take the guys home, you know that."  
"And I know how your apartment looks like."  
"Sara Sidle, your apartment is not much better. At least not the last time."  
"We'll talk about this another time." Sara closed her locker. Moving in with Greg? Everybody would think they're a couple, trouble in the lab, gossip, meetings with Ecklie, so much trouble for having a lot of young guys in her apartment, drinking beer, playing computer games and messing up the kitchen and the bath.  
Sara went straight to traces and got the first results of the day. With them she went to ballistics and started to run the bullet cases through. Maybe they were lucky and found the owner. As far as she knew they were still looking for the car.  
"Got something for me?" Sofia came in the room.  
"I don't work your case." She looked at the blonde. Sofia had a case with Grissom, she wasn't involved in Sara's cases.  
"You do. I'm on the shooting."  
"With Brass or for Brass?"  
"With him. More people for this one, it's priority. We don't like it when somebody wants to shoot police officer."  
"I can't give you anything right now. Got some bullets, bullet cases but so far nobody who owns them. Wanna have a look?" Sara stepped aside to make some space for Sofia at the microscope. The blonde worked long enough as a csi to handle this stuff.  
"Sure." Sofia bent over. When she changed the strength of the microscope, her shirt rode up. Sara's eyes got stuck on the skin she saw for a second before Sofia pulled her shirt down.  
"What happened?" Sara asked.  
"Mhm?"  
"You've got a bruise on your back."  
"Work."  
"Are you fighting with suspects?"  
"No, I hit corners while I follow them…it's .9 millimeter."  
"Yeah, but I couldn't find a match so far. Only to the first shooting, so we know they're the same guys but knew that already."  
"I wonder why they do that."  
"There are a lot of people out who don't like cops."  
"Yeah but these people shoot when they're at a crime scene and the scenes weren't connected. Or we haven't found a connection. Why wait until they are at a crime scene to shoot? Why not when they're driving around?"  
"You wanna be a walking aim?"  
"No, I'm just wondering why they do what they do."  
"Maybe it's not about the cops, maybe it's about us CSI."  
"Revenge? Because you guys brought them behind bars once?"  
"Is a possibility, but we found the bullets all the time where the cops were, they never shot in our direction. And the first shooting was while we were in a house." Cath and Warrick had worked the first scene, a homicide in Henderson when the shooting started. They couldn't find any connection between the dead woman and the stabbed man yesterday.  
"They have a radio, they listen to the police radio, find out where a crime scene is, come along and start to shoot. It's a wonder that nobody got killed so far."  
"Only a grazing shot." Sofia sighed. "Worse enough."  
"I know."  
"I've go to. Can you give me a call when you find something new out?"  
"Can do."

"I found the perfect house for us."  
"I beg your pardon?" Sara almost dropped her bagel. Did Greg really say he found the perfect house for him and her? Her ears must have played her a practical joke.  
"I found the perfect house for us." No joke, he really said that. Didn't she say they'd talk about that later? Okay, that was two days ago, they hadn't talked, why did Greg look for a house without telling her? Without asking her?  
"You two guys move in together?" Warrick had a seat next to Sara. "I didn't know you are a couple."  
"We are not!" Sara said. That was exactly why she didn't want to move in with Greg. Rumors would start immediately.  
"No, we are not. We are only two people with awful apartment neighbors."  
"And that's why you move together?"  
"We don't move together." Sara shook her head. She never said she'd move in with Greg.  
"It's a lovely big house in the north-west of Vegas…"  
"If it's so wonderful and in that area, how do you think we'll pay the rent?"  
"Hah, I got a 'we', that's start." Greg grinned.  
Sara rolled her eyes.  
"Well, the catch is, we'll have a house mate."  
"Forget it."  
"You don't know anything about him."  
"Him? Two guys? Forget it. I don't share an apartment with two guys. I don't want to be the housewife."  
"I'd come along to see you in a short skirt." Warrick grinned and got the evil eyes.  
"It's a house, five rooms, two bath rooms, kitchen, huge living room. You can have a bathroom with…well, we can get another woman if you want, then we're two each."  
"Greg, why do you think I'm interested in that?"  
"Because you're apartment is a nightmare, you need some sleep, you'll have your own room, you'll have a garden, you save money…"  
"I take it." Warrick said."  
"He wants a woman if I move in."  
"Why?" Sara knew why she was so suspicious. Something was wrong with this guy.  
"Because women are lovely creatures."  
"Greg…"  
"Tell you something, we'll finish breakfast and have a look. He's home in the morning."  
"You want to move in with somebody who isn't working?"  
"I didn't say he doesn't work, I said, he isn't working in the morning. Like us. What do you say? Come on, one look, if you really don't like it, I stop."  
"That's the first sensible sentence I heard of you today." Okay, if that was the thing that made Greg shut up, she'd come with him to this house. She was sure, she'd say 'no', but he wanted to waste their time…it didn't matter if she was awake and drove around town or if she was awake and listened to the fights of the neighbors.

The first Sara had to admit the street the house was nice. Trees on the sides, each house had a garden in the front.  
"We're here." Greg stopped in front of a quite new vanilla colored house.  
"Balcony?"  
"Yes." Greg smiled. He didn't tell Sara everything about the house, he had left some surprises for her.  
After they rang the door a man, more in Greg's age than in Saras, opened the door. He was tall, six foot five, his skin was light brown, reminded Sara of milk chocolate so did his eyes and his hair was middle brown and touched his shoulders.  
"Hey, I'm Keith." He gave Sara his hand.  
"Sara."  
"Greg said you're not sure if you want to share with us, lets' see if we can help you to make a decision." He stepped aside and let them in. On the left side of the door was a wide staircase and on the right side a lot of hooks. A shelf for shoes and a little sideboard made the entrance area complete.  
"I show you the rooms upstairs first." Keith walked up the stairs, Sara and Greg behind him. There was a lot of light and a big light bulb for the evenings.  
"We've got four bedrooms here and two bathrooms. My room is on right Greg's would be next to it. The bathroom is between the rooms, same for the two bedrooms here." Keith opened a door and a big, open room appeared.  
"You can have this room or the other one, that's up to you."  
"A balcony." Sara noticed the balcony immediately. She had always wanted a balcony to sit there in the evening sun or in the morning sun and have some dinner or breakfast. This one faced the street, gave her evening light. The room was about five by five yards, had a parquet floor, white walls and the ceiling was high. The big window and the balcony door gave the room a lot of sunlight.  
On the left was the door to the bathroom. The bathroom was three by five and beside a shower, a toilet and a sink there was a bathtub. Luxury.  
"I love tubes." Sara sighed.  
"Who doesn't?" Keith grinned. "Have a look to the other room, it's basically the same, same size, just the look out of the window is different."  
Sara opened the door and found herself in a room like the first one. Again a balcony and when she stepped out she had a look on the garden.  
"Wow." The trees around the estate were high enough to give her some privacy on the balcony. The garden itself was a lot of lawn, a little vegetable patch and some chairs and a table around a BBQ area.  
"It looks like you've got garden parties."  
"On the weekend, yes. But this is a quiet family area, nobody has parties longer than midnight. Not without permission of the neighbors. And because I'm working night times I barely use the BBQ area at night. More for a lunch in summer. Because the house is between the area and the evening sun, it's a good place for lunch. You catch the morning sun up here, but the garden is mostly in the shade."  
"A coffee on the balcony in the morning sun." Sara could see herself ending her workdays that way. After that falling asleep by the songs of the birds, sitting in front of her window.  
"How are the neighbors?"  
"They're nice. On the left side is a family with two toddlers, on the right side an elderly couple without children. Well, their children live at their own places, the grandchild is sometimes here."  
"I'm asking because mine fight the whole day or listen to loud music and I can't get any sleep what makes night shifts difficult."  
"Most people work at day time, so it's quiet. You've got a few kids around, but they're not loud. I come home around two or three in the morning, I can't complain about loud neighbors and my sleep is very light. Once a week the garbage collection is the loudest thing that happens here. Maybe a football game in summer when some neighbors watch it together outside and have a BBQ or a few drinks. But during the week? Nothing disturbs you here."  
"Sounds good and I have to say I love the balcony."  
"So do I. My room is to the garden too. Wanna see more of the house?"  
"I certainly do." Maybe moving in with other people wasn't such a bad idea. Of course a house of her own would be better but she'd never be able to pay for a house like this. Not even an apartment in this area.  
Greg smiled. He knew it. Sara would love the house. Greg himself fell in love with it as soon as he had seen it.  
"We've got a guest toilette down here." Keith pointed to a door next to the front door. "Here's the kitchen." A big kitchen, fully equipped, with huge windows to the front, a big wooden table with eight chairs all in bright wood. Nothing compared to Sara's little dark kitchenette. This was a place even she might enjoy cooking.  
"Did Greg tell you what my job is?"  
"No." He mentioned Keith was working at night times that was all Sara knew.  
"I'm a musician. I've got five nights a week a gig a nightclub on the strip. This is my music room." He opened a door. A few guitars, a keyboard, piano, drums, bass guitar and a little studio appeared.  
"Before you get a heart attack, this room is soundproofed, when I play my music here, you don't here that in any other room. Means, the guys and me are in this room and you've got a quiet house."  
"Until you get out of the room, drunken, singing dirty songs in the hallway." Sara laughed.  
"There's a rule, a house rule, I don't have many, but this is one of them: alcohol is in the house only permitted in the kitchen and the limit is a bottle of wine. My parents were alcoholic, so is my sister. A bottle of wine for cooking or served with the dinner. Any other alcohol, there's a fridge outside. I don't mind beers with the BBQ, I do drink beer, but I don't want that stuff in the house. If you want to drink a beer in your room, I don't care, but not down here."  
"No problem for me." She could understand him. "What are the other rules?"  
"There are five shelves in the fridge, the freezer and the cupboard. Everybody has their own shelf, one is for the community. Nobody touches the stuff of the others. You don't enter rooms without knocking, you do whatever you want to do in the room as long as none of the other members in the house get disturbed. Means, if you want to smoke, do it in the garden or on your balcony with a closed door, if you feel like loud music, you're free to use my music room when I'm not in or use earphones. You keep your room and your bathroom clean, the rest of the house…the last time I had somebody in the house we cleaned it ourselves, but after a few weeks people got sloppy, so we ordered a cleaner twice a week. We can clean it ourselves, I don't mind, but if you guys don't feel like sweeping, dusting and vacuuming, we'll go on with the cleaner. She's in two hours on Mondays and Fridays."  
"Cleaner." Greg said.  
"Cleaner is fine with me. As long as she won't wake us up twice a week vacuuming."  
"The only carpet is in the living room, the rest is floor. She's not really making noise and the last weeks she was here in the afternoon."  
"Oh, well, who cares then?" By that time Sara and Greg had their sleep.  
"Just telling you. The living room." Keith opened a double door. A huge couch, that offers space for almost a dozen people, two armchairs, a table and an electronic front caught Sara's eyes.  
"You're free to watch TV here as much as you like, it's a common room. The only thing is, once a month the guys and me watch football here. Usually the first weekend a month they're here, so we'll be sitting in here or – if the weather is good – we'll take the stuff outside and watch in the garden. And around Christmas there'll be a big tree with a lot of gifts. I love gifts, so everything I see and like from the November, I wrap and put it under the tree. My mother shook her head the first times because I lived here alone and there were so many gift boxes. I had bought a few cheap book and DVD collection at Ebay and wrapped every book and DVD separately. The same with Christmas letters. I wrap them and open them on Christmas day."  
"You'll have fun with our Christmas hater Sara." Greg laughed.  
"Do you have this awful Santa Claus and reindeer that sing the whole time?" Sara got a headache by only thinking of this stuff.  
"No, I don't. I'm into the old fashioned Christmas. If somebody wants something singing, I'm more than happy to play a Christmas song on the piano and everybody can sing. I'm with you this singing shit is annoying. So yes, a lot of decoration but no, nothing with sound."  
"That's good."  
"It's supposed to be a feast of peace and thoughts."  
"Yes."  
"Let's see the garden." Keith opened the door to the garden. A little area around the glass door was paved, so was the area around the BBQ, the rest was lawn.  
"The fridge is in the little shed over there, the key to it is in the kitchen, next to the door. There are also chairs inside. A hammock is between the trees over there."  
"Oh yeah." Sara smiled. She loved hammocks.  
"It's big enough for two or you enjoy it alone with a book. Nothing better than on a sunny afternoon falling asleep in a hammock. Feels like holiday."  
"I can imagine."  
"Sara, I'm more than happy to share the hammock with you." Greg offered.  
"You're dreaming, Greggo."  
"I am."  
"Wake up."  
"Later, five more minutes."  
"That's basically the house and the garden, there are some additional features you'll find for yourself. Feel free to walk around, have a look around and make your decision. Can I offer you some coffee?"  
"Yeah."  
"Yes, thanks." Sara took a look around. The vegetable patch – secured under a huge glass wall - was full with carrot, salad, potatoes, strawberries and herbs. A raspberry bush and the hammock were knotted to two cherry trees. Keith loved not only music, he must have a soft spot for gardening too. How he managed to have vegetables at the end of November was a mystery to her.  
"Greg said you drink it black."  
"Oh, thanks." She hadn't heard him coming back.  
"You love gardening?"  
"It's relaxing, yes. And with the music I've got a loud hobby and job, I need something quiet. I'm thinking to make the vegetable patch bigger, to get a few more fruit trees. You know, a greenhouse, that way there'll be fresh vegetable the whole year around. Nothing better than fresh vegetables and fruits out of your own garden."  
"There's something better: this coffee."  
"Like it? I've got a coffee machine from Italy and Italian coffee. Fresh brewed. I don't like the instant shit, having instant coffee is like having a date with your dream woman and your most hated teacher out of school shows up."  
"Interesting image."  
Out of the corner of her eyes Sara saw a black shadow rising.  
"You've got a dog."  
"Are you scared of them?"  
"No." Sara bent down. She didn't know much about dogs but she knew what breed this one was. The black and white hair, the intelligent and interested eyes.  
"You're a Border collie, aren't you?"  
"Yes she is. Her name is Luna."  
"You're a beautiful woman. Luna." The dog came to Sara and sniffed her hand.  
"She makes sure I get my exercise every day. We go out of town for an hour or two three times a week, there's a training area for dogs and she loves doing all kind of tricks. And if there's not enough time for that I take her out with my bike. That's the best way to get her some exercise, isn't it, Luna? You love the bike."  
The dog barked once.  
"Smart girl. They understand up to 250 words, really smart animals."  
"Animals are usually smarter than human."  
"True."  
Sara petted the dog, Luna let herself drop on the side and offered Sara her belly. Softly she caressed the hair.  
"Looks like you found a friend."  
"Yeah, a really kind one."  
"She isn't that kind all the time. If I wouldn't be here and you appeared in the garden alone, she had attacked you. She's here for protection and she's good. People are only allowed when she knows they live her or when they arrive her with somebody who lives here."  
"Means I don't have to lock the door."  
"If you forget it, whoever wants to come in has to deal with Luna first. She doesn't growl, she bites quietly." Keith had found one night a teenager who had tried to break in and Luna had stopped him. His arms and legs needed stitches and it was good that Keith was at home to stop Luna.  
"Smart girl." Sara put the empty cup of coffee in the grass and had both hands for Luna. A balcony over a lovely garden, a dog and so much space and all the silence. This place was paradise.  
"You know I can't say no to this place? How could I with a big room with a balcony, a garden, quiet neighborhood and a dog? I just hope I can manage to live in a house with other people. The last time I shared my apartment is a long time ago."  
"You've got your room where nobody will annoy you and we're all working, we'll be out of the house. It's not like we're all unemployed."  
"What a horror."  
"That means you'll move in?"  
"Who'll get the other room? The one next to my bathroom?"  
"Well, you have to share the bathroom, it's your decision. I'd prefer a woman, to have it fair but if you prefer a man, it's alright too."  
"I think I prefer to share a bathroom with a woman."  
"Thought so. In that case, welcome to the house, new housemate."  
"Thanks. Hey Luna, wanna move in next to me?"  
"She's got her own house here in the garden and a thick blanket in the living room."  
"What a shame. When can I move in?"  
"Greg's coming over at the weekend, he gave his landlord notice he wants to move out ASAP. The room is free so whenever you feel you can move in."  
"I wrote my landlord weeks ago I want to move out to the end of the month. For a while I thought about staying in a casino, you get a room from 20 bucks per night in the week, the weekend is more expensive but I can work there and sleep in the lab; for a few days. This is much better of course. I think, I'll start moving in tomorrow or tonight, depends on the work."  
"No problem. Talk to Greg, you guys can share a van and save some money. He told you the price?"  
"Yes. You're sure that's all you ask for? I mean, it's a big room, it's a big house, it's a good area."  
"It's my house, I look for housemates because living alone is boring. It's not about the money, it's about the company. I know Greg and me get along great, we know each other since five years and I think we two will also go along good. He told me a few things about you, the boy had a crush on you."  
"I know." Sara sighed.  
"He's over that, don't worry. He likes you, can't blame him for that. Lets make his day and tell him he you join him here. He'll be delighted to meet you every now and then in underwear in the kitchen."  
"In his dreams."  
"I think in his dreams you're in his room."  
"You're right on that." Sara laughed. She'd move in with Greg and Keith. She'd share a house with two men, if that was a good idea, she'd find out. It sounded interesting for a start and it looked like she'd finally get some sleep again.

"I've got a couple of wits who saw a man, around six foot three, running in east, wearing black jeans, black jumper and black sport shoes. Got it on the radio." Sofia said and watched Sara taking a fingerprint.  
"That's good."  
"It's a start. He had an accent, they reckon South Carolina or something like that."  
"You can fake accents."  
"I'd do that if I want to rob somebody."  
"As a detective you shouldn't think about thinks like that." Sara smiled.  
"True." Sofia laughed. "Got something?"  
"A print. The woman said the man didn't wear gloves so I hope that's his print. Wanna lift a print too?"  
"I know you're doing a perfect job, no need to lift a back-up print, Sara."  
"Who was talking about a back-up print? I'll take yours to the lab and use mine as a back up. I thought you might miss working as a CSI."  
"I do sometimes, at least some things. Alright, give me the stuff." Sofia grinned and took gloves and powder. "The Sheriff would kill us for wasting time and material."  
"If this is his biggest concern he must be a lucky man." Sara chuckled, watching the area if anybody was watching them.  
"The last time I met him he didn't consider himself as a lucky man. There you go." Sofia gave the lifted print to Sara. "Sign, sealed, it's up to you to deliver it."  
"Sign, sealed, delivered? You're in a mood for old music, detective?"  
"Watched a Motown show a couple of nights ago. A few songs got stuck in my head."  
"I can hear that." Sara put the fingerprints in her kit.  
"What is that?" Sofia pointed to a little red dot on the ground.  
"I've no idea, I took a sample for traces." Sara's eyes once again got caught on the body of the detective.  
"Got a collision with some furniture?" She pointed with her chin to Sofia's shoulder. A bruise was visible for a second when the detective bent down. "Or too much alcohol at the Motown show?"  
"Yeah, stupid me was cleaning the floor, kind of early Christmas cleaning, the door bell rang, and I jumped up and hit my shoulder under the table. It would be helpful to use eyes after God gave them to me."  
"It surely would." Sara was silent for a few seconds. She knew bullshit when she saw and heard it. But was she supposed to say that loud? It wasn't exactly her business.  
"My mom also had that problem. She and the furniture bumped into each other quite often. They followed her through the whole apartment." Sara said quietly, hoping Sofia would take the hint as an offer to help.  
"Whatever you want me to tell with this story, I think it's best you concentrate on your work." Sofia's voice was suddenly harsh and the detective walked away without any more words.  
"I think you know exactly what I want to say with that." Sara sighed. It was more than obvious that Sofia didn't get the bruises from furniture or suspects.  
Without talking to Sofia Sara got all her evidence and drove back to the lab.  
"Hey, got a sec?" Greg came in the room.  
"Sure."  
"The moving van is at my place at eight, I think we'll need two hours most then we'll come over to you."  
"Perfect. I'm almost done with packing, all they have to take is the furniture, and I'll get the rest over on Saturday when I've a day off."  
"I got Friday off and move out of my apartment. We'll live together, I like that, it's a reason to celebrate." He grinned and wanted to go.  
"Greg?"  
"Mhm?"  
"Can I ask you something?"  
"Sure."  
"But it's…it has to be between us, don't talk about it with anybody else, please."  
"What is it?" He could she Sara was serious and concerned.  
"What do you know about Sofia's relationship?"  
"Is her boyfriend a suspect?"  
"Not that I'm aware of it. What do you know?"  
"He works in a bank, quite successful. I haven't met him often, saw him once or twice. They seem to be happy."  
"Mhm."  
"Why?"  
"I'm not sure. Something is wrong with her."  
"Can be the job."  
"She loves her job."  
"Maybe she's pregnant."  
Sara made a grimace.  
"That's totally Sidle. Typical girl stuff scares you." Greg laughed. "Something absolutely natural."  
"So is dying nevertheless I don't like it."  
"It's the opposite of dying, Sara."  
"Whatever."  
"Ask her." Greg became serious.  
"Yeah I might do that. Thanks Greggo."  
"Every time." He left the room.  
Something was wrong with Sofia and Sara was sure, that something was a somebody. She doubted Sofia got the bruises while she was working, she had never been clumsy and Sara didn't believe it was somebody at work who hit her. Being a child of an abusive father she knew the signs, she knew, it was the partner most times. But why? Sofia was a strong woman, why didn't she stop him? Stupid question, Sidle, she told herself off, everybody has a weak spot and if this guy found Sofias, he could do with her whatever he wanted.  
Was there a way Sara could do anything? Was she supposed to do anything? Yes, she was. It was her job as a CSI as it was Sofia's job to report domestic abuse. If she wasn't able to do her job, Sara had to do it. The question was would she help Sofia by doing that? If the blonde didn't want her to do anything, it was no help. Sofia had to make the first step.  
Sara sighed. She'd wait a few days, if there were more bruises she'd tell the detective, if she didn't report whoever was doing that to her, Sara would do it. She wouldn't watch Sofia's downfall. She had watched one once and that one ended in a murder and destroyed her childhood even more.

The next days Sara was busy moving. After she had her furniture in her new room she slept there every day, went back to her apartment in the evening, loading up her car and unloaded it in the morning. On Saturday she carried the last things in her room, falling on her bed trying to ignore the chaos around her.  
The knock on the door let her open her eyes.  
"Hey." Keith was there.  
"Hi, you're already awake. Did I wake you up?"  
"No, I'm awake since nine. This looks like chaos."  
"Well, the chaos is strictly in line with Feng Shui."  
"Really?" He laughed.  
"Kind of."  
"I didn't know you're into Feng Shui."  
"If it helps." She got up.  
"Need a hand?"  
"You want to sort my underwear?"  
"Why not? You can be sure I won't steal it, I don't think we've got the same size."  
She had to laugh. He was a funny guy.  
"Maybe you can help me with the furniture. My shelves are in million pieces and it will take hours until I'm done with them."  
"I don't have hours but I've some time. Where do you want me to start?"  
"The two big ones…no, the one for the TV, then I can put my TV on it and it's out of my way. Thanks God the wardrobe is in one piece. I can throw everything in it and the room looks better."  
"That's cheating."  
"No, it's organized chaos."  
"Feng Shui again?"  
"No, Sara Sidle."  
"Interesting." Keith took a board. "Smart girl made some stickers on the pieces so we know what's what."  
"Yes I do think sometimes." Sara grinned. She had put stickers on every shelf so that she knew what was what and saved time.  
"You do often, it's required in your job."  
"True." They worked for a couple of minutes in silence. Sara liked that about Keith. Even when they didn't say anything it never felt uncomfortable. She liked to have him around.  
"Double question." Keith broke the silence. "Are you allowed to talk about your job and do you like talking about your job?"  
"Answer for both questions: depends. Why?"  
"Just wondering. Like if you have a case right now."  
"No, I closed my case last night, did some paper work and will get a new one the next time."  
"That's for sure. I think Las Vegas is never short of criminal cases."  
"It's very seldom that we have quiet nights."  
"I think so. This might be a ridiculous question but is it possible to have something like favorite cases?"  
"A favorite case? No, I don't think so."  
"But some cases are worse than others."  
"Yes."  
"I mean there's a difference between a robbery and a murder."  
"Yes, to hunt a burglars is better than hunting a rapist. Coming to a scene where a bunch of young people have destroyed some private property is better than coming to a house where the husband has slapped the wife around and broke her bones."  
"Domestic violence. In my eyes worse then any other violence. Your house is supposed to be a safe haven, your relationship is supposed to give you security and your partner is supposed to take care of you. All these things are the other way around if it comes to domestic violence." He paused for a few seconds and Sara thought about his words. She had to agree but wasn't sure if she wanted to deepen the topic.  
"My neighbor was abused by his wife."  
"By his wife?"  
"Yeah. He was a successful manager but she…she was never satisfied with him, slapped him. I know, usually it's the other way around and he was really ashamed when this came out. He killed himself."  
"Shit."  
"Yeah." Keith stopped working. "Broken ego, ashamed, desperate. I think if people see you as a strong person and find out, you've got weak spots – spots everybody has – they are more likely to kill themselves than people who…how can I say that? Who have no power in any part of their life. Other people will feel sorry for them while they might be amused that the successful manager get smacked up by his wife."  
"Or the detective by her banker boyfriend."  
"Yeah. Police officer are strong, they're not meant to be weak."  
"It's not a weakness."  
"Tell them, don't tell me. I know that. It's not their fault, it's the fault of the partner and the environment, not to react and doing something. Everybody needs some help sometimes, even the strongest person. Like me now to get out of the sad thoughts. I could need the help of a strong CSI to hold the shelf."  
"You have it." Sara smiled slightly and helped Keith to get the shelf up and hold it for him. Maybe she was Sofia's help. Maybe she had to do something, had to give the detective a little mental push to get out of the relationship. Or at least she should offer her some help and assistance. Yes, she had to talk to the blonde, open and without any tale. Straight forward.  
"Sara?"  
"Oh, sorry." Sara shook her head. She had to come back to reality if she didn't want to explain him why her thoughts were anywhere else.  
"Are you alright? I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry, I won't talk about your work anymore."  
"No, that's okay, I was lost in some thoughts. In fact, I think you helped me out with a problem."  
"Really?"  
"Really." She smiled. "And with the shelf."  
"My pleasure. For both."  
Sara smiled and was very pleased that he didn't ask any further questions.

Beginning of December

"There was an incident." Grissom came in the break room. "At the scene where Nick and Cath were working. The drive by guys shot again."  
"Is anybody hurt?" Warrick asked shocked.  
"Nobody was shot."  
"But?" Sara knew there was something more. Grissom was holding something back.  
"But they managed to get an officer in their car."  
"They abducted an officer?" That was something new. The two times before they hadn't try to get anybody in their car, they drove by, shot and were gone. Was this a kind of a new level? Were the men getting more aggressive? More dangerous?  
"Yes."  
"Whom?"  
"Sofia."  
"What?" Sara almost yelled. "Do they look for her? Is there a helicopter…?" Why were they still here? Shouldn't they all be at the scene, finding evidence to get Sofia back as soon as possible? And why did she react so anxious? She and Sofia weren't friends, she should stay a little bit cooler.  
"They found her."  
"Alive?" Warrick asked.  
"Yes."  
"Thanks God."  
"But?"Again Sara knew there was more and she got nervous. A police detective, a female detective, in the hands of a street gang couldn't' t be good.  
"It looked like she was raped."  
"Oh my god."  
"Cath will go to the hospital as soon as she's allowed to see her. I need you guys to go to the scene, we don't have any real traces of the men, and we have to stop them."  
"We're on our way." Warrick and Greg got up.  
Sara hold back for a second. "Gil?"  
"Yes?"  
"Can I go to the hospital?"  
"Why?"  
"Please, I'd…I'd like to be with Sofia."  
"You're close? I didn't know that."  
"I wouldn't call it that way." No, they had never been close. Probably Sara had given the blonde the hardest time of all CSIs. "But I'd like to be there. To be there for her." She hoped Gil would understand because Sara had no idea, which were the right words to use.  
"Okay, I'll call Cath and tell her to stay at the scene. Desert Palms."  
"Thanks." Sara got her kit. She knew it wouldn't be easy.  
It took her several minutes until she was in the room Sofia was in. The face of the blonde was blue-black, swollen, her body was full of scratches but Sara couldn't see any bandages. At least no broken bones.  
"Sofia?"  
"Leave me alone, Sara. Please."  
"You know I can't." She put her kit down.  
"I don't want you or anybody else to examine me. I told the doctor."  
"Sofia…"  
"No Sara, please. Just leave me alone."  
"I can't do that." She could, but she didn't want to.  
"Then ask me what you have to ask for the case, take traces from my fingernails…"  
"You know that's not enough."  
"I don't care." Sofia put her hands on the blanket, still looking out of the window, avoiding Sara's eyes. "Go ahead."  
Sighing quietly Sara opened her kit and got everything out for the traces under Sofia's nails.  
"It might hurt now a little bit." She said before she carefully started to scratch under the nails.  
"I know." Sofia's hand was ice cold. As careful as possible Sara collected some evidence, sealed the bags.  
"I need to take pictures."  
"Go ahead."  
Sara took some pictures of Sofia and her injuries.  
"Sofia…?"  
"I know I need to undress. I don't want to."  
"They won't leave you alone if I don't do that. By saying no you'll get only more trouble. I promise I'll hurry."  
Sofia sat on the bed, turned away from Sara and opened her shirt.  
Sara's breath stopped when she saw all the bruises on the back and the shoulder of the detective.  
"They got me hard."  
Sara took her photos, covered Sofia's back carefully and stepped in front of the blonde. She felt helpless, angry, lost, furious and ready to cry.  
"You can lie to yourself, you can lie to me but don't expect me to believe you. We worked together you know that I know how fresh bruises look. They're red and most of your bruises aren't red. These bruises aren't from whoever abducted you and they are not from furniture either. I can see the shape of a hand, I can see finger…"  
"Sara, go!"  
"Sofia…"  
"Leave me alone. Go!"  
"No!" No, she wouldn't close her eyes. "No, I won't go, I won't leave you alone and I won't let him hit you." She'd use the name of Sofia's boyfriend but she didn't know it.  
"I've no idea what you're talking about."  
"Anybody in the police enforcement or at the CSI lab who will see this photos knows what happened to you…"  
"You can't show them the photos. No!" Sofia tried to grab Sara's camera. Sara got up and stepped a few foot away.  
"I can and I will. If you don't stop him I'll do that."  
"He doesn't want to hurt me…"  
"Bullshit."  
"It's me, not him, I…"  
"You didn't do anything wrong, Sofia. Stop saying things like that." Sara knew the circle, she knew that the victims tried to protect the perpetrator and searched the fault by themselves. It was so wrong, but it was hard to make them see, they didn't do anything wrong. In Sofia's eyes it had to be her mistake, her boyfriend was a wonderful and lovely man when they'd met and he changed while they were together, so it had to be her fault. So she tried to protect him.  
"Please. I beg you, please. Please. Don't tell anybody."  
"If you don't want me to tell anybody…"  
"I do whatever you want!"  
"I want you to tell Brass what's going on."  
"No!"  
"Sofia…"  
"No! Please." The blonde collapsed on the bed. "Please. Don't."  
Sara closed her eyes, rubbed her face. Shit. "Tell you what." Why had that be so damn hard? Why did she ask for going here? She knew about the bruises. It would have been easier to let Cath go here and handle that. The older CSI would have made a phone call and Sofia's boyfriend would be in custody. Now it was Sara's job to do that. Why didn't she do that?  
"I'll take the evidence back to the lab, they need it to find these men…"  
"Don't tell anybody."  
"I'll tell them you asked me not to examine you, what you did. I don't think they'll let you get away with that, I really doubt that. If you want I can ask Cath to come over if you don't want me to be here. She'll take pictures, she'll see and she'll know. It would be easier if you tell them. But it's up to you. Me or Cath." Sara was sure Sofia would choose Cath. Sara had told her too many things the blonde didn't want to hear.  
"Could you please…?"  
"No problem, but as I said, I'll take pictures, there'll be questions and I don't think you can get around this."  
"I'll talk to the doctor…"  
"Up to you." Sara took her kit. Beside the fact that she looked beaten up and that Sara knew what happened to Sofia, the blonde looked awful.  
"Sofia?" Sara's voice was as softly as possible and stepped close to the blonde. "Try to get some sleep. I can tell them you need some sleep and they should give you until tomorrow." She knew this time would would narrow the chance to get the guys who raped Sofia, smaller. She loses evidence with every hour she waited.  
"Thanks."  
"All I want is the best for you."  
"Then don't tell anybody."  
Sara looked sad. She had no other choice and if she didn't say anything, the doctor had seen the bruises he knew what they meant. The best for Sofia wasn't being quiet, the best was saying what Sara knew.

Sara went back to the hospital in the morning. She had no break and wouldn't get one until she had finished with Sofia. Of course Grissom wanted pictures, of course he wanted an examination. Of course he didn't understand why Sofia wasn't willing to help catching the men who did that to her.  
Sara knocked quietly at Sofia's door. She could hear voices in the inside but the nurse had told her, there was no doctor inside. Sofia's boyfriend had to be in the room.  
She opened the door carefully.  
"…Brad I…"  
"I told you to shut up, bitch." His words were like whippings. "…And stop whining. I don't believe a fucking word you say." Memories. Memories of her childhood, of her family. They came back quickly, caught her by surprise and hit her very hard. So hard that she almost stumbled.  
"Brad, they raped me…" These words had to be hard for her, had to be so hard to say.  
"Yeah sure, I'm sure you horny bitch offered yourself to them. Nobody abducts a detective. You were looking for some fun, weren't you? I bet you enjoyed what they did, horny bitch. You liked it, you wanted them to do that!"  
Sara could feel anger rising in her, burying the memories and the sorrow.  
"Sofia." She spoke loud.  
Sofia and Brad turned around.  
"Get lost, we're in a conversation." Brad said without paying more attention.  
"Sofia, I need to talk to you."  
"She's talking to me, bitch. Get lost."  
"I'm sorry Sir, I need you to step out the room and I've to examine Sofia."  
"You're deaf or stupid? I said get lost." He stepped to her, building himself up in front of her, forcing Sara to step a few steps back to the open door.  
"I'm with the crime lap, if you don't leave the room I've to call an officer and…" It was like an explosion. His open hand hit Sara's eye and sent her straight out of the door on the floor.  
"Told you to fuck off." He slammed the door.  
Sara took a deep breath and waited a few seconds until the pain stopped and the world wasn't spinning anymore. This guy hit her.  
She took her cell and called the police.  
"Ma'am, are you alright?" A nurse came out of a room and saw Sara sitting on the floor.  
"There's a man in the room, he…he hit me." Hadn't she sworn to herself nobody would ever hit her again? She'd never ever be a victim.  
"What? He hit you?"  
"Yeah…could you call security?" Sara showed the nurse her badge.  
"Sure." She pulled a little beeper out of her pocket. "Your eye is swelling."  
"His hand met my eye."  
"Are you feeling alright? I'll call a doctor, you might have a concussion."  
"We need to get this man out of the room. He…he abuses his girlfriend, Miss Curtis." She had to tell, she had to do something. And for the time Sofia was in that room, Sara wouldn't call her a detective. Sofia was the victim in this case, in the cases, she wasn't the detective.  
Two security guards came to them.  
"What happened?"  
"The man in this room, a visitor, he hit me. It blew me out of the room." She held up her badge. "I was about to examine the woman in the room."  
"Is he armed?"  
"I don't know." Probably not but why risk something.  
"Please step back." Sara leaned on the wall across the door to Sofia's room.  
The guards opened the door, weapons in their hands.  
"On the floor! On the floor!"  
"What the…" She could hear how they threw Brad on the floor. A lovely sound. She went into the room.  
"Is this the man who hit you, Ma'am?" One of the guards, who hold Brad asked.  
"Yes."  
"Bitch, mind your own business."  
"Well, this black eye is my business. I'll let you charge for assault an officer. I told you clearly I'm a CSI."  
"No woman tells me what to do."  
"Well, if the judge is woman she'll tell you what to do." Sara had to hide a smile.  
"You'll regret that."  
"And now he's threatening me."  
"I'll get you for this."  
"You got me already and that will get you."  
"You've got no witness." He took one last look at Sofia and got pulled out of the room.  
"Ma'am you need to see a doctor." The nurse said.  
"Give me a minute here, please."  
"Ring as soon as you feel dizzy or have a headache."  
"Will do." In this case she was more than willing to call a doctor. Every little treatment would make it more difficult for Brad to get out of prison.  
She waited until the nurse closed the door behind herself and she and Sofia were alone in the room.  
"Sara, I'm so sorry." Sofia started quietly.  
"What for?"  
"He…he isn't…he didn't intend to…" Sofia stopped when she Sara's face saw. "On my god, your eye…"  
"It hurts like shit." Like the rest of her head but that had to wait until later.  
"Why didn't you let the nurse help you?"  
"Because this is more important. Sofia, do you really wanna stay with this guy?"  
"He's only a little bit shaken because of last night."  
"Don't bullshit me. I heard him. He blames you. He blames you for being raped. He's not shaken, he's an idiot, an abusing self-loving and blind idiot. And you know what he'll do when you're both back home. He won't take care of you, not in a way he's supposed to. He'll go on blaming you, he'll slap you even more, he'll hurt you more. Do you want that, Sofia?"  
"I've no choice."  
"Bullshit again."  
"It's our apartment…"  
"Sofia, stop that. Tell me, do want to go on like that?" Why did she care at all? She and Sofia had never been friends, why did she care? Was it because Sofia reminded her of herself when she was a child? Was she trying to help herself by helping the detective? No matter what she tried to do for Sofia, she wasn't able to change her own past.  
"There's no choice…"  
"Stop bullshitting me, just answer my questions with a yes or a no. Do you want him to hurt you more? Do you want him to hit you? Do you want to be in this life? Do you want to be a victim? Do you want us to come to your apartment one day and find you dead? Because he won't stop beating you, he won't leave you alone. He'll go on, he likes it, and he'll hit you more, stronger, more often. They raped you, he'll rape your soul, he'll make you suffer even more, he'll make you remind every day of what happened, he'll blame you. Do you want that? Do you want be another woman killed by her abusing boyfriend? Do you want to be caught in this circle? Don't bullshit me now, Sofia. Just tell me yes or no if you want your life to go on like this. And don't lie to yourself that it will stop; we both know he won't if you don't stop it. He has no reason to stop it, he doesn't love you. No matter how often he tells you that he loves you and that he's sorry. He tells you, doesn't he? All the time after he beat you again. It will never happen again. Bullshit and you know that. Never again is forgotten the next day when something pissed him off and he'll let you pay the price for it.  
So if you want to go on like this tell me now and I'll go. I'll send whomever to you and leave your life. But I'll do anything to get him into court. Slapping me was a mistake, he'll pay for that. That's your change to get out of this. I can get him for the assault without your help but you'll have to live with him. Have to survive him."  
"He'll be out of prison by tomorrow." Sofia whispered. Sara knew that. She had not a lot hope that they could hold Brad for a long time.  
"Yes or no, Sofia. Say yes and I'll make it easy for you and leave you alone. So easy for you and so much easier for him. He can simply go on. Or say no, kick him out of your life. Leave him and get your old life back."  
"How?"  
"Don't worry about the how. If you say no I'll be there for you, I'll help you and I promise, you don't have to go back to him. It's up to you. Yes or no?" Sara looked straight into Sofia's eyes. This ice blue eyes, she could remember the time when these eyes were full of life and joy. Now they were dull, full of pain and sorrow.  
"No." Sofia whispered.  
"I didn't hear you." Sara wanted to hear Sofia loud and clear.  
"I don't want him to…I want…my life back." Tears were running down Sofia's face. Sara was next to the blonde within a second and took her in her arms. This shaking broken human used to be a strong detective. Unbelievable. Brad had broken her. Had broken her pride, her personality and her back.  
"You'll get it back, Honey."  
"How?"  
"First of all, you won't share an apartment with him anymore."  
"It's our apartment, I can't kick him out."  
"You'll leave it. Today."  
"But…"  
"No but. Give me your keys."  
"What?"  
"Your keys to the apartment."  
"What do you want to do?"  
"You need your clothes, you need some anyway. I guess he didn't bring you anything."  
"No." Of course not. Brad didn't care about Sofia.  
"I'll get your clothes. Is there anything that's yours and it's important for you?"  
"Kitty."  
"Kitty?"  
"My cat. She…she must be in the apartment. If I leave her there…he'll kill her. He said…" Sara took Sofia in her arms. She understood. Brad had threatened to kill the cat if Sofia didn't do what he wanted. A weak spot of her, he used for himself.  
"I'll get her out, don't worry. Anything else?"  
"Can't I come with you and…"  
"I don't think they'll let you out."  
"I could release myself."  
"Sofia…"  
"I'm fine – physically. Nothing I'm…not used to…"  
"You were raped."  
"Like I said…nothing…" She stopped and closed her eyes.  
Sara caresses the back of the blonde softly. It was hard for her to fight her tears. She had suspected that Brad had raped Sofia, but she didn't want to ask that. Now she knew. So many things that reminded her of her life as a child, things she wanted to leave behind and not to think of anymore.  
"Okay. I tell you what we can do. I'll talk to the doctor, ask him if I can get you out. Then I'll make a call to the lab, they'll tell me need to examine you, you know that. I'll call Brass and ask him to make sure Brad will be in custody until tomorrow morning. I've to give them a statement too. By that time it will be late afternoon. I'll come back to here, get you out of the hospital and we'll go and get your stuff."  
"You can do that?"  
"I can try, no promise that you'll be out here tonight. It's up to the doctor. And I'll get an officer or a guard to your door in case Brad comes out. He'll be straight back to here and he won't be nice, you know that."  
"Kitty!"  
"We'll get her out…"  
"No, no. He'll kill her, I know. As soon as he's free to go he'll go home and…Sara!"  
"Okay, calm down." Sara closed her eyes. "I need your keys, call Brass and take care of the cat. Then I'll talk to the doc, do the examination and all the others things. But I need you to cooperate, Sofia." If Sara asked for a lot of favors she couldn't come back without doing her job.  
"I…will."  
"Good."  
Sofia opened the nightstand next to her bed and got her keys out.  
"I'll be back ASAP." Sara took the keys and got up. She strokes her hand gently over Sofias. "Try to sleep or to rest at least."  
"You're the one who's working since yesterday. Your night wasn't easy either."  
"I know. So make my day easier by not having me worried about you, will you?"  
"I can try."  
"That's a start." Sara smiled and left the room. Outside she allowed herself a few seconds leaning on the wall. Okay, she had to organize everything fast.  
Her cell first. She dialed a number, a quite new number.  
"You lost your way home? Are you in your old apartment?"  
"No, I'm in hospital."  
"What?" Keith's voice, first teasing her was full of concern now. "What happened?"  
"I'm fine but I could need your help."  
"Whatever I can do."  
"Can you come to the Desert Palms?"  
"I'm on my way, give me fifteen minutes."  
"Thanks. See you in fifteen minutes." She ended the call very thankful that Keith had time and he didn't waste time with questions. She really liked that about him, he didn't ask questions he wasn't supposed to ask.  
Next call.  
"Sara, are you alright?" Of course he had heard about the incident.  
"Jim, I need a favor."  
"Is it about this guy? I heard he's Sofia's boyfriend."  
"He is. It's a long story, I'll tell you later. Can you make sure he stays in custody the night?"  
"He's the boyfriend of a detective, he has a clean sheet, his lawyer is on his way, you need to give them a damn good statement to keep him in custody. Talking about your statement…"  
"I'll come over as soon as I finished my examination here. He hit me before I could start."  
"I can send an officer to the hospital."  
"That would help, thanks."  
"About the night in custody, I can't promise anything on that."  
"Can you give me call as soon as he leaves?"  
"Sure."  
"Thanks. I've got to go, I need to talk to the doctor."  
"Are you alright?"  
"A black eye, a little headache, should be alright."  
"Concussion."  
"You know my head, it's made of steel."  
"Don't push your luck. As far as I know Gil is on his way to you."  
"Damn it. Okay, I can handle that. I need to go, thanks Jim."  
"No worries." Sara rolled her eyes. Gil was on his way. Less time. She stopped the next nurse walking by.  
"I need to talk to the doctor for detective Curtis."  
"Miss Sidle?"  
"Yes."  
"I'm supposed to bring you to a doctor for checking on your head."  
"My head is still on my shoulders as you can see. The doctor of detective Curtis."  
"Follow me." Finally. Why had people always to delay things?  
The nurse brought her to an examination room. "Doctor Hut will be with you in a moment." When she saw Sara's face she added. "He's the doctor of detective Curtis."  
"Thanks." Sara took a look at her watch. Less than ten minutes until Keith was here. She had to be in front of the hospital by then. If he could get the cat and…damn…first of all she had to ask him if it was all right that the cat stayed at their house. And Sofia. That was Sara's plan. She'd get Sofia in the free room, at least until they knew what happened to Brad.  
"Miss Sidle, how is your head?" Doctor Hut was young, Sara guessed in her age. She didn't mention that her head was still on her shoulders.  
"I've got a little headache, but that's okay. I need to…"  
"Sit down." He pushed her on a chair and took a little flashlight. "Can you look at the light, please."?  
"Doc, I need to talk with you about detective Curtis."  
"Follow the light with your eyes."  
"She wants to leave the hospital tonight."  
"Do you feel dizzy?"  
"Do you listen?" Sara was annoyed. She tried to get the attention of the man and he was wasting time.  
"I do. Do you listen?"  
"Hell yes. No, I'm not dizzy, I've got a little headache, I had one when I came here, I'm awake since twenty hours, need caffeine, of course I've got a headache. Sofia. Out of the hospital. Tonight."  
"I don't have to tell you what happened to her, you examined her."  
"No, you don't have to and no, I haven't examined her yet, her boyfriend stopped me. I'll do that as soon as we're finished here. She wants to release herself."  
"I don't support that."  
"I can understand that. What are her injuries?"  
"Physically? Several bruises, no interior injuries. Beside the bruises she'll be fine in a few days."  
"Is there any physical danger if she leaves tonight?"  
"I'm not sure if her mental condition isn't a danger for her physically condition."  
"You did the examination last night?"  
"Yes."  
"Then you know the biggest danger of her physical condition is her boyfriend, these bruises are his work. Ninety percent were old, we can't blame the gang for them."  
"She filled a…"  
"No, I'll do that. And I'll get her out of his hands. His assault today gives us maybe a night until he'll be out of custody. That's why Sofia wants to go. He'll be back here, he'll find a way to come in. We want her out of the hospital, get as much of her stuff as possible out of the apartment and hopefully this guy out of her life." Sara knew it would not be as easy as it sounded now.  
"I can't stop her…"  
"Good. I'll do the examination, talk to the police about this morning and get her out of here."  
"At one point you should give yourself a few hours. You need a rest; beside the concussion."  
"As soon as Sofia is out of here and the police is pleased with my statement, my boss sends me home. Unfortunately we're in the middle of an investigation of a shooting and a rape of an officer."  
"If you don't get any rest I'll arrange that you'll stay a night here."  
"Over my dead body." Sara got up and smiled. "I'll get my rest, don't worry. I need to go."  
"Come back as soon as the headache gets worse. I assume you don't take blocker?"  
"Only if there's no other choice."  
"Thought so. I'll send a guard to the door of detective Curtis."  
"Thanks." Sara got out of the room.  
Keith. She got as fast as possible to the entrance. There he was, leaning on a wall, looking relieved when he saw her.  
"You are…what happened?" He noticed her eye.  
"Somebody didn't want me in a room."  
"What?"  
"Last night…" No time for the whole story. "…Keith, I need to ask for a really big favor."  
"If you want me to talk to the person who did that to you, it will be my pleasure."  
She had to smile. "I took care of that guy."  
"Of course you did, nobody messes around with you." He smiled slightly.  
"Not without hard consequences. This guy is the boyfriend of an old colleague; he is in custody right now. The problem is, his sheet is clean, they might not be able to hold him over night and as soon as he's out, he'll go back to the apartment. He'll kill the cat of his girlfriend."  
"Why isn't she changing locks?"  
"She's here in hospital, she was…" Shit, if she wanted Sofia in the house she had to tell Keith the truth. "She was raped last night. He blames her, he slapped her." Sara could see Keith understood. He was reminded of their conversation about abuse and found the connections.  
"I guess you don't want me to send him to hospital – horizontally."  
"I'd love that but no, that will bring only trouble to you. Could you get the cat? I know we wanted to look for a housemate together and I've no right to ask you this but…"  
"I'll get her over and we'll take care of the cat. It has to stay in the free room, I'm not sure how Luna reacts but it can stay. No question. Same for your friend, when she leaves here, bring her over, she can't go back to the apartment. He'll be there and he'll be very angry."  
"I know…Sofia wants to leave the hospital tonight, wants to release herself."  
"What does the doc say?"  
"He's not happy, can't stop her neither."  
"What time will she be out of here?"  
"I need to examine her because of…last night. Early evening."  
"I get the cat, you'll have the keys otherwise you hadn't have called. What is it's name?"  
"Kitty."  
"I'll get Kitty and Kitty's stuff, bring her to our place and come back. As soon as you ladies are done, we'll go over to the apartment, get Sofia's stuff and bring it over to our house. I won't let you go there alone in case this guy might show up."  
"A friend of mine is a captain at the police department, he'll call when Brad leaves. But he'll try everything to keep him."  
"Good. Let's get started, time is running."  
"Thank you so much, Keith." Sara hugged her landlord.  
"No need to thank me, Sara. But I need the address of the apartment."  
"Sure." Sara was happy that she remembered that. She had to write it down last night for her files. Before last night she had no idea where Sofia was living.

"Gil." Of course Grissom was here. He had enough time while Sara was busy organizing other things. He sat next to Sofia.  
"Sara…what happened?" He looked at her eye.  
"Something hit me." Sara looked at Sofia. "Or somebody."  
"Sofia?" In disbelief Grissom looked at the blonde.  
"No. Brad." Sofia swallowed.  
"Your Brad? Why would he do that?"  
"I wanted to examine Sofia and asked him to leave."  
"He can't be in the room when you do the examination, he should know that."  
"Apparently he doesn't or he didn't care. Anyway, he made me leave."  
"He hit you?"  
"She fell out of the room." Sofia's voice was quietly and shaky. Sara took Sofia's hand. Again these pictures of her childhood. Her mother beaten and broken in the bedroom, on the floor, crying and Sara trying to soothe her. And then herself, her arm broken, alone in a bed in hospital. How had she wished for somebody who was there for her. Simply held her hand and told her everything will be alright.  
"Not your fault."  
"Did you hit him back?" Suspicion was in Grissom's voice. He knew Sara and this question wasn't without legal cause.  
"No." Sara smiled. "He could use that against me and for himself. I let him hit me, called security and they got him out. He's with Brass."  
"Good. And good that you didn't hit back."  
A smile appeared on Sara's face. It was hard not to hit back, it was hard only to take but she knew it was better that way.  
"He seemed to be such a nice guy. Maybe it's the pressure and the shock of the last night."  
Sara looked at Sofia. When the detective didn't talk she had to. There was no way that Brad would go on hurting people without any consequences.  
"He hit me." Sofia mumbled.  
"What?" Grissom's attention was on the blonde. "He hit you? Because Sara wanted to examine you?"  
"No…before." Slowly Sofia moved a sleeve of her shirt and there were bruises all over her arms. Grissom didn't need more explanations, he knew these bruises weren't new.  
"Sofia…"  
"Gil, please, don't. I don't want to talk about that right now."  
"He has to pay for that."  
"He'll get some trouble for my black eye." Sara looked at Sofia. "An officer will come over to take my statement. You know, what that means." Sofia was in the room, she was a witness, and they would take her statement too.  
"I'll verify your statement."  
"You have to tell them about your bruises…" Grissom started.  
"One thing at a time." Sara stopped him. "He is in custody, we need to get the other guys there too. Sofia, I know you don't want me to examine you, but you know, if you don't let me or anybody else do it, it can cost you your job."  
"That's why I'm here. The Sheriff wants the results fast."  
Sofia took Sara's hand like she wanted to hold herself up with it.  
"I don't want anybody than Sara to do it. Would you…?"  
"That's why I'm here, Honey. We can do that now."  
"I'll be waiting outside because you, Sara, look like you need a doctor too."  
"Had one already." At least she talked to one...and doctor Hut had checked her. That she didn't do what he asked her to do was something else.  
"And?"  
"I'm alive."  
"Do you have a concussion."?  
"Maybe, a little one. I'm fine, a little headache."  
"You go home after this. Understand?"  
"I'm on a hot case…"  
"You've a concussion. You go home. Am I clear? Two nights."  
"Two?" She had no time for sitting around, they needed to find these guys.  
"Argue and it will be three."  
"I hate it when you're bossy."  
"I am the boss." Grissom took his kit and left the room.  
"I'm so sorry Sara. For everything."  
"Don't worry. He'll be alright, he's used to argue with me over things like free nights."  
"I mean your eye, the case, your overtime…everything."  
"Don't worry about it."  
"Did you talk…"?  
"I did. You can go, he isn't happy with that but you can go. And Kitty is safe. Keith is taking care of her."  
"Keith?"  
"Oh, yes, you don't know him. Greg and me…a long story, I'll tell you later. Let us do the job first. The sooner we're done the sooner you can leave."  
"Where do you want to start?"  
"Where do you want to start, Sofia? I start wherever you want me to start." Sara opened her kit. She wanted to make it as easy as possible for Sofia. If the blonde wanted her to take pictures first, Sara would do that. If Sofia wanted the examination first, they could start there. It was all up to her.

„I feel like...a victim." Sofia covered herself in her blanket and shivered.  
"You are a victim." Sara closed her kit. They were done.  
"I'm used to be on the other side of the fence."  
"You'll be back on the other side soon." Sara paused for a moment and took Sofia then in her arms. This case had changed her relationship to Sofia. Without thinking or really talking about how difficult it has been between them, they were closer. Sara, who usually didn't like it when people came too close to her, held Sofia in her arms and Sofia opened up for Sara. She told her things she had kept for herself for months. Somehow they acted in a new way and it was good for both of them.  
"It's gonna be rough, you know that, it will hurt but you'll win at the end. Don't let him win, don't let them win. You're a tough woman, you'll win."  
"You think so? I'm not sure about that."  
"I am."  
"There'll be an officer in front of the door."  
"Do you want me to ask him to give you a few more minutes? I can talk to him outside, that gives you some time."  
"The sooner I talk to him the sooner I can leave, right?"  
"Right."  
"Get him in."  
"Okay." Sara stroke Sofia's arm.  
Grissom and a female officer were in front of the room.  
"I've got everything we need, Gris." She handed her kit over.  
"I'll take it from here. You go home after you talked to Officer Carmichael."  
"Will do. See you tomorrow."  
"The night after tomorrow, Sara."  
She sighed. One last try but he hadn't changed his mind.  
"Take care of Sofia I think she can need a shoulder."  
"I will." She looked at the officer. "Detective Curtis is waiting for you."  
"I need to talk to you too."  
"I know." Sara was more than happy to talk to the officer. They walked inside the room, Sofia's face was still pale, and it looked almost like the sheets.  
"Detective Curtis, I'm officer Carmichael, I need you to answer a few questions."  
"Have a seat, go ahead."  
The officer sat at the end of the bed, Sara took a chair next to Sofia.  
"Miss Sidle, you came to this room this morning to do an examination on detective Curtis, right?"  
"Yes. I needed to examine her regarding the last night."  
"I'm sorry but I've to write that down, you were abducted and raped, detective."  
"Yes." Sofia swallowed.  
"And you didn't want an examination in the first place?"  
"No, I told Miss Sidle to leave me alone. Of course she had to come back what she did this morning."  
"What happened when you arrived, Miss Sidle?"  
"I heard voices in the room. The nurse told me the doctor isn't in the room but the partner of detective Curtis, Brad, had arrived a few minutes before. When I opened the door I heard him yelling."  
"At what?"  
"At the detective."  
"Why?"  
"He was blaming her for what happened to her last night. He…" Sara stopped for a moment, didn't want to repeat what she'd heard because it would hurt Sofia, but Sara had no other choice. "He said, she wanted to be abducted, she enjoyed being raped. That she had offered herself to the men." The look the officer gave Sara said more than words. Words, she wasn't allowed to say.  
"I spoke out who I am and that I have to examine detective Curtis."  
"You told…what is the full name of your partner, detective?"  
"Brad Hollister."  
"You told Mister Hollister who you are?"  
"I did yes. And he knew who I am. I also told him at least twice that I need to examine detective Curtis and asked him to leave the room for this time."  
"What did he say?"  
"He told me to get lost."  
"Then what?"  
"He stepped closer to me, forced me to walk backwards to the door. I told him again that I'm with the crime lab and need to examine detective Curtis and that I'd call an officer if he won't leave the room. The next thing I remember is that I found myself on the floor in the hall. He hit me hard enough to threw me out of the room."  
"Did you try to enter the room?"  
"No. A nurse found me on the floor, I needed a few seconds because the world was spinning and the nurse called security after I told her what had happened."  
"Did you try to hit Mister Hollister back?"  
"No, I never touched him."  
"What happened after Mister Hollister hit Miss Sidle and she was out of the room?" The officer looked at Sofia.  
"He told me…he told me to remember that nobody can tell him what to do and that women, if they don't listen to him, need to be shown who's the boss. I should always remember that."  
"Did he hit you?"  
Sofia's eyes met Saras.  
"Not today."  
"Did he ever hit you, detective?" Officer Carmichael asked more specific. She had seen the look in Sofia's eyes. She knew he had hit her. By calling her by her rank, she got Sofia back in the job, back in her life as a cop.  
Sofia nodded.  
"I need you to answer, detective."  
Sofia slowly rolled up her sleeve, like she did when Grissom was there.  
"Yes, he did. Various time."  
"Do you want to press charges against him?"  
It wasn't a question if Sofia wanted, it was her damn job as a detective. It was her job the first he did that to her.  
Sofia's hand found Saras. "Yes."  
"We'll add that to this case. He also tried to resist the arrest, injured a security guard."  
"Do you think he'll remand in custody tonight?" Sofia whispered.  
"With all this we might be able but I can't promise you anything."  
"I know."  
"Will you be here if there are any further questions, detective?"  
"No, I…Sara…where will I be?"  
"You can reach her when you call my cell."  
"I can get my cell from home…"  
"No, he will call you, harass you, we'll get you a new number."  
"Okay."  
"You'll leave the hospital now?"  
"Yes. I don't want to be here anymore."  
Officer Carmichael only nodded and got up.  
"Take care detective and I hope to see you soon back in the department. As a detective."  
"I hope so too." They waited until the officer was gone.  
"I feel totally helpless and useless but what now, Sara?"  
"Now you'll call the doctor, he'll have a last word with you and we'll leave. While you talk to the doctor I'll organize the rest."  
"Thanks."  
"No need to thank me."  
"Sara?"  
"Mhm?"  
"Are you sure this isn't too much for you? You're pale. What is with your concussion?"  
"Can wait until tonight. Grissom forced me into two free nights, enough time to relax. Press your button and get the doc."  
"Okay." Sofia smiled a little bit and pressed the button over her bed.  
Her head was killing her. Sara closed her eyes. She needed a break but there was no time for a break.  
"Have a coffee."  
"Keith." She hadn't seen her landlord arriving. It took him only ten minutes after her call to be here. Thankful she took the plastic cup of coffee.  
"I brought some coffee from home, so don't worry it's not the disgusting stuff you get here."  
"You're an angel."  
"You'll change your mind after I told you there's a blocker inside. You need one I can see that. More than that you need to rest and to sleep."  
"Later."  
"That's it? No trouble for the blocker?" He was amused. That was too easy.  
"I need one, as you said." She had no energy to fight and the thought of having no headache was too tempting. She knew she couldn't just go to bed right now and sleep until the headache was gone.  
"Good girl."  
"Don't talk to me like you talk to Luna."  
"I've got the biggest respect for my dog."  
"Mhm." Sara saw Sofia coming out of the elevator. She was pale, unsteady but refused to hold on to the nurse, who was next to her.  
"Hey."  
"Sofia, that's Keith. He took care of Kitty. Keith, that's Sofia."  
"Thank you so much."  
"No problem."  
"You need to lay down, Miss Curtis."  
"I will."  
"You need to rest."  
"I will."  
"You need to take your medicine."  
"I can do all that as soon as you left us go so that I can relax."  
"She's complaining, she bitchy, she'll be fine soon." Keith smiled at the nurse.  
"I think you're right." The nurse smiled and walked away.  
"I'm not bitchy."  
"Only a little but you're allowed to be annoyed and bitchy."  
"I'm not…doesn't matter. What are we doing now?"  
"We'll drive to your apartment. Brass hasn't called so Brad is still in custody. Keith is coming with us, as a bodyguard and a handy man to carry all the heavy things you want to have."  
"Okay."  
"Can you drive?" Keith looked hard at Sara.  
"Better than you." She blinked and took Sofia's hand. "You'll be my GPS."  
"I try not to send us in a river or something like that."  
"We're in a desert, your chances not end in a river are high." Sara got Sofia in her car, waited until Keith was there with his car and then they started. The whole drive she thought she needed a third eye. One for Sofia, one for the street and one for her cell in case Brass called. But the cell stayed quiet and they arrived at Sofia's apartment.  
Keith took the keys out of his pocket. "Let's go shopping. I promise you'll like all the clothes you see and – the thing about them – you don't have to pay for it."  
"Sounds like paradise if you like shopping." Sofia took the key and opened the door.  
Her and Brad's apartment. She was about to get her stuff out of the apartment. If anybody had told her that yesterday, she had laughed. It had never crossed her mind to leave. Not serious. Only twenty four hours later she was here with two…one…stranger and a colleague she never had so much with in common but who had helped her more than anybody else ever did and was about to pack her stuff.  
"Uhm…I don't know what to take…" Sofia looked helpless around. Where to start?  
"Well, consider it like a holiday." Keith said. "Get your suitcases and pack some clothes. Something casual, something formal, your work clothes, your favorite jumper, running shoes, like you go on a long holiday."  
"What did you pack for Kitty?"  
"I found her food, her toilette, some toys and her box. It's all at home."  
"Perfect. Thanks."  
"Stop thanking me for every little thing. What is your stuff?"  
"I…I'm not sure if I want some of these things." All that would remind her of Brad. "But if you can get the books in the car. They are all mine, at least the ones in the book shelf in the living room."  
"I'll take the books and the shelf. You do the clothes and call me when the suitcases are full. There's no weight limit, Sofia, you can pack as much as you want."  
"He's nice." Sofia said when Keith vanished in the living room.  
"I know. Come on, let's get started. Brass could call any minute."  
"Right." Sofia opened the door to the bedroom and almost collapsed. Sara could catch her just before the legs of the blonde gave in.  
"Sofia."  
"It's nothing, it's…memories." She had seen the photo of her and Brad, all the memories showed up at the same time. Happy moments the first weeks of their relationship, then the change. The first he hit her, the last time, all the nights and mornings she had cried herself into sleep. The moments she came home, scared that he had done anything to Kitty because of an angry text or phone call he had given her.  
"He's not here, he won't hurt you."  
"I know, I know…" Sofia got back on her own feet and pulled a suitcase from under the bed out.  
"Knock, knock." Keith's head appeared in the door. "Sorry to disturb you girls, but I found some big litter bags, strong, perfect for clothes. Use the suitcase for something heavier."  
"Do you always think so handy? Or is it because our heads are out of order."  
"Both Sugar, both." Keith smiled and left.  
"He doesn't look like…I don't know."  
"He looks like somebody who can scare the shit out of you when you meet him at night time on the streets." Sara helped. "And not like a man who thinks about what you can put in your suitcase and carries your cat stuff around."  
"Yes."  
"I know. So, what do you want me to pack?"  
"All my underwear, socks and bras are in the dresser, the upper two drawer."  
"Alright."  
Sofia opened the wardrobe, tried not to look at Brad's things and started to pull all her clothes simply in the bag. When it was full, she closed it and took the next one. They could worry later about carrying.  
"I've got your underwear, what next?"  
"The other two, there're my shoes in and then you can go on with the stuff here, I'll have a look for all my documents. They are more important than clothes." Sofia opened her desk. For a moment she thought about how to organize the things and then she simply took another bag and dropped everything inside.  
"Books and shelf are in my car. Can I get some of your stuff?"  
"Feel free." Sara pointed to the bags on the bed.  
"That's what I call work-out."  
"I don't know what else to take." Sofia sighed. All her clothes were in bags, her documents too, her books.  
"Get your computer, your movies, CDs, photos without him, anything else that has a price for you."  
"I want my old life back."  
"You'll get it back as soon as you've closed the door behind you."  
"I hope so."  
"Do you have anything in a basement or attic?"  
"No."  
"Tax, car or any insurances, that might be together with his documents?"  
"No, I did my stuff alone."  
"Means, we're done?"  
"I think so." Sofia's eyes ran through the room. No, here was nothing left she wanted to have. Everything else reminded her of Brad.  
"Are we done?" Keith asked.  
"One last walk through the apartment…but I think we're done." Sofia stopped at the bathroom. "Maybe I want my perfume."  
"Of course you do if he didn't buy it." Keith said. "And don't forget your favorite shower lotion and everything else that makes you feel comfortable."  
"He didn't. My mum gave it to me last Christmas."  
"Got it." Sofia opened the bathroom cabinet.  
"Here." Keith got a little plastic bag. Sofia put the perfume, her shower lotion, shampoo and a towel. She had bought that one when she was on Hawaii a few years ago. It was a memory of a lovely holiday.  
There was nothing in the kitchen and the living room that she wanted.  
"I'm done."  
"Good, let's get out of here."  
"Am I supposed to leave a note?"  
"I think it's clear that you're gone, but yeah, write a sentence."  
"I'll be downstairs."  
Sofia got a sheet of paper. What was she supposed to write? That she was sorry but she couldn't take it anymore? She had no reason to feel sorry for Brad.  
Sara's cell got her out of her thoughts.  
"Understood…thanks Jim…see you." She closed her cell. "We've to go. Brad's lawyer bailed him out, we need to leave."  
"Shit." Sofia took the pen and wrote something.  
"Let's go." She took Sara's hand.  
"What did you write?"  
"I'm gone and won't come back."  
"That's enough for him to know."  
"He'll come after me."  
"He'll be in jail very soon." Sara held the door open for Sofia. "Brad's out." She called to Keith.  
"We better go then." Keith jumped in his car.  
"Where exactly do we go?" Sofia asked when she was in the car.  
"We go to the north-west part of the city. That's where Keith's house is and Kitty waits for you. Relax, the drive takes a few minutes."  
"I can use a minute with closed eyes." Sofia said. Before her eyes were completely closed she was sleeping. She hadn't slept last night, no matter how often somebody had told her to sleep and relax, she had never been able to catch some sleep.  
"Wake up." Sara shook carefully Sofia's shoulders.  
"What?"  
"We're there. Home sweet home."  
Sofia tried to open her eyes. It was hard. Keith opened her door.  
"Let me give you a hand."  
"Thanks."  
"Sara, are you alright?"  
"Yeah."  
"You two will have some pizza and then a sleep."  
"Pizza?" Sara had thought they'd skip food and go to bed right away. Now with the thought of pizza and her stomach reminding her loudly that her last meal was twenty hours ago, she thought pizza was worth staying awake another ten minutes.  
"I made myself useful while you were writing this note and called the pizza service. I can see them in front of the door, good and fast service."  
"You're wonderful." Sara sighed.  
"I know." He unlocked the door, took the pizza and let them in. "Don't worry about your stuff, Sofia, have something to eat. I'd offer you a glass of wine but you both take medicine, I'll fix you a juice."  
"I need a toilet. Have a seat, Sofia, the living room is straight through. I'm with you in a sec."  
"Thanks."  
When Sara came back from the toilette Sofia wasn't in the living room. Maybe she was hungry and went to the kitchen where Keith and the pizza were.  
"Where's Sofia?" Sara asked. She couldn't see the blonde.  
"I thought she's in the living room."  
"No, she wasn't there…the door was open!"  
"Oh dear, we haven't introduce her to Luna." Keith dropped the knife he was cutting the pizza with and ran to the living room. He and Sara both stopped immediately. Sofia was sitting on a step in front of the living room. In her arms was Luna, licking her face and snuggling close to the blonde. So much for an attack.  
"I think Luna found her." Sara whispered.  
"Yeah. And it looks like my girl knows Sofia is a victim and not an attacker. I'll take the pizza, maybe she wants to be in the sun after all this darkness."  
"Okay." Sara went out. Sofia's face was buried in Luna's hair, the Border collie's head went up and looked at Sara  
"Hey, you met Luna."  
"Yes. She joined me when I had a seat in the sun. She's lovely." Sofia got her head out of the black and white hair. One hand still petting Luna she took a deep breath.  
"You're special, you know that?" Sara asked with a smile.  
"Why?"  
"Usually Luna attacks people she doesn't know and who show up in her garden. She must have felt that you are no threat."  
"Dogs are smart."  
"They are." Keith brought the pizza out. "Eat something, at least a slice or two. I know Sara didn't eat the whole time, she never does and you were in hospital. The food there is worse than having no food."  
"I didn't touch my food there."  
"There we go. Eat, drink some juice. I've got your medicine here, Sofia."  
"Thanks."  
"I bet there's a blocker in my juice." Sara grumbled.  
"You can hate me now, tomorrow you'll love me for that."  
"It's the second one today."  
"You've got a concussion, you need them. Like a sleep."  
"Talking about sleeping, where am I supposed to sleep."?  
"I'd offer you my bed but I think you won't take that offer." Keith grinned. "It's an offer for both of you."  
"No thanks. I can sleep on a couch…the floor…or whatever."  
"We can share my bed." Sara said. "It's a big one, king size. Enough space for us and it isn't a problem. We can get you a bed tomorrow."  
"Or the day after tomorrow, you two need to rest."  
"Or that. If it's alright with you I don't mind sharing the bed for a few nights until you've got a bed."  
"I certainly don't mind. I'm happy with whatever you offer me."  
"See problem solved. Kitty up there too."  
"Yes, I'm not sure how Luna reacts to her, so it's better when you left your doors closed until we figured that out." Keith said.  
"She's a house cat, she's used to be in rooms."  
"She can have your room, the bathroom and my room."  
"That's enough."  
"Perfect. Go to bed." Keith ordered. Both women had stopped eating and finished their juice.  
"You're worse than a nurse."  
"That's why I'm better. Have a long sleep, you need it."  
"Mhm." Sara got up. "Come on, I show you our room. Do you need anything from the car?"  
"I really don't feel like searching bags for my sleeping stuff."  
"I'll give you a shirt. Good night, Keith."  
"Good night, ladies. Stay in bed until tomorrow morning and I'll provide breakfast."  
"Sounds like an all inclusive hotel." Sofia sighed.  
"It is." He helped her on her feet. If they couldn't make it up the stairs, he'd carry them.  
When Sara woke up there was sunshine and she had Sofia in her arms.  
"Morning." The blonde was awake.  
"Morning." Sara took her arm back. "Sorry. Seems like the bed wasn't big enough."  
"You took me in your arms because I had a nightmare. Don't you remember?"  
"No." Sara tried to but it was even hard to remember how and when she got into bed. "Sorry."  
"I bet Keith gave you something to sleep too."  
"Mhm, I think you're right on that. Did you sleep at all? I mean, some sleep without nightmare."  
"After I was in your arms I slept, yes. Being in your arms made me feel safe." First it had disturbed Sofia that Sara had pulled her in her arms, then she relaxed and found out, it wasn't like when Brad did the same. There was no hidden violence or force, Sofia found out she could get out of Sara's arms when she wanted without being forced back. With this knowledge she could relax better and actually felt good after a few minutes before she fell asleep again.  
"Then I don't have to feel sorry."  
"No, not at all." A bump on the blanket got their attention to the end of the bed. Kitty, Sofia's black cat, had jumped on the bed.  
"Hey sweety, did you hear me? How are you?" Meowing the cat walked to Sofia and pressed her head to Sofias.  
"You're good and happy? That's fine. I hope you like it here, we won't go back. No more evil man."  
"Did she like Brad?"  
"She was scared, she knew what he had in mind, she saw what he did to me."  
"Kitty, he can't hurt you here and you can stay as long as you want if you let Sofia stay too."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes I am. The room next door is free, it is waiting for somebody, if you want, you can be that somebody. Wanna have a look at it?"  
"How's your head?"  
"I don't have a headache and I don't feel dizzy."  
"Because you're laying down."  
"What about yourself, smarty pants?"  
"There were a lot of days I felt better but I felt worse yesterday."  
"Five more minutes, collection some energy and then we'll give it a try? I'm sure you're hungry too, it's…" Sara had a look at her clock. "Noon. We slept over twelve hours."  
"We needed it."  
"Oh yeah." She stretched and kicked her side of the blanket away. "Rise and shine….ouch."  
"Drop and suffer?"  
"Kind of." She got back to bed.  
"Maybe you should go to a doctor if the…" Sofia stopped when she saw Sara's look.  
"Just trying to take care of you, payback for yesterday and the times before. I'm sorry that I jumped at your face when you tried to help me, when you built me a bridge to talk." Sofia had known that Sara didn't believe her the lies she told her about her bruises.  
"Don't worry about that. If it had been the other way around, I would have done the same. No way that I had talked to you. Not your business."  
"Don't show me problems I try to ignore."  
"All I did was giving you possibilities to talk about a problem by showing you that I knew what was going on. Struggling with a suspect, hit by furniture, bullshit."  
"I'm sure most people prefer to believe that."  
"Most people are idiots."  
"You're so kind and warm."  
"Honest. Okay, this time I'll try to get up not that fast." Slowly she put one foot after the other out of bed and got her upper body inch for inch up.  
"Much better." She stood up. "I'll have a look around if we're the only ones who are awake. Want something to eat?"  
"I'm starving."  
"So am I. Feel free to stay in bed or have a shower. There're towels in the bathroom."  
"Thanks."  
"It's all inclusive." Sara smiled and left the room.  
Sofia closed her eyes for a second. The first night without Brad. The first time she woke up for a long, long time that she wasn't worrying if Kitty was fine, if she would get any more bruises. She woke up next to somebody who didn't want to hurt her, who wasn't slapping her for saying something she wasn't apparently supposed to say. It felt good.  
Slowly she rose and walked into the bathroom. A shower would be nice. She never got one in hospital, they didn't let her shower because of the examination and after that she was too busy vanishing.  
"Damn it." Her stuff. She didn't take anything upstairs, everything was still in Sara's car. Oh well, in that case she could have a look at the room she was about to move in. Moving in with three other people. Housemates. Wasn't she too old for something like that?  
When she opened the door to the other room she was caught by a surprise. All her stuff was in the room, the bookshelf was standing in front of the wall and her books were on it, all in alphabetical order. Her clothes were out of the bags, on the floor in little towers on a blanket and her documents on a little desk. On top was a note.  
Found a desk, nothing special but I thought you might need it until you found something better. There are some shelves in the attic, have a look around later if you like. Welcome to our house. Keith.  
PS: Have a look on the balcony, you think Kitty will like it?  
She smiled. He was a nice guy. With a landlord like him she understood why Sara had moved in. Add Greg to it and there was no reason not to be happy here. As much as she had seen of the house, it looked great, the location was superb and there was a friendly dog in a huge garden.  
Sofia took some fresh clothes and walked back in the bathroom. The hot water was good, it washed away dirt and memories. Unfortunately looking at her body all the memories came back. She had to call the hospital. They had made some tests with her. The men who raped her, they were two, had used condoms, but she wasn't sure what she might have caught.  
Raped by two men, kicked and beaten by the boyfriend, what a great detective she was. If her mother found out, she'd kick her out of the family. A black sheep, an eyesore, a worthless something. Or like Brad had called her, a bitch. Was she worth the badge? How could she? She couldn't manage her own life, how was she supposed to take care of other people? How could any other cop feel save having her around? Weak, stupid bitch.  
All out of the blue the world around her became black and the next thing she remembered was Sara, getting her hands under Sofia's armpit.  
"Sara, what…?"  
"You fell." Sara had heard Sofia's fall when she came back to her room. "Come on, I get you out of here." Sara had turned of the water before she got Sofia up and out of the shower. Holding the blonde with one arm she placed a towel around her with the other hand. Carefully she led the detective to the bed.  
"Lay down."  
"I'm fine."  
"Mhm, I can see that. Lay down!" She pushed Sofia softly down and covered her up with the blanket.  
"I'll make your bed wet."  
"It will survive. What happened?"  
"I don't know…I was…thinking and suddenly everything was black."  
"Maybe a bath is better for you than a shower."  
"I'm weak."  
"You're not weak, you were assaulted. Not only two nights ago, for months."  
"Like I said, I'm weak. What kind of detective am I? Get smacked up by a banker."  
"Sofia, don't do that to yourself." Sara tried to stop her.  
"What? Being honest? I'm a disgrace to the whole law enforcement."  
"Shut up!" Sara took Sofia in her arms. "Shut up, will you?" She pulled the blonde closer. "You are no disgrace. You are a great detective, you were a great CSI, don't blame yourself. Yes, he hit you, yes you are supposed to stop people like him but it's different when it's in the family. You loved him." At least Sara hoped she was right with the past tense.  
"How can you love somebody who does something like this to you? How crazy do you have to be?" Sofia sobbed.  
"You don't have to be crazy, you only have to be human. Unfortunately our feelings don't work as clear as our head, they do cause trouble. I mean, how often did you fall in love with somebody who wasn't interested in you? How long did you cry for an idiot who broke your heart? We can't control emotions, but they can control us."  
"I could have walked away. Could have told anybody. Damn it, you gave me twice the chance to talk with you. I pushed you away."  
"You're not doing it right now. You're not pushing me away now. That's all what count. Forget the past, you can't change it, all you can do is not letting the past destroy your future. Don't do that, Sofia. Leave the past behind, learn from it and make yourself a nice future without him, without pain."  
"What if I fail again?"  
"You won't, you can't."  
"Why? What is different?"  
"You're here with us. We won't let you fail." Sara smiled. "We don't accept failure in this house. You're a part of it, you won't fail."  
"Or I'll disappoint you."  
"You've never disappointed me, Sofia."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Hey, you know me. Am I somebody who sucks up?"  
"No, you're an ice cold bitch."  
"See. If you had disappointed me at any time, I'd tell you. So stop acting like a little girl and be a woman for Christ's sake."  
"And you're very sensitive." Sofia had to laugh.  
"Screw that, being sensitive doesn't help. Get your ass out of the bed, get dressed and come down. I prepared some lunch and I'm starving."  
"Give me a minute."  
"You've got two but don't you dare to be later than that. I'll die of starvation." Sara smirked and blinked at Sofia. She stroke over the cheek of the blonde when she got up. "You're not a disgrace, you didn't fail, Sofia. Trust me on that." And with that Sara turned and left the room.

"Sofia." Greg stopped a yard before the blonde. "Am I allowed to hug you?" He had finished his sleep and came in the kitchen to grab some food.  
"Sure you are." Sofia took Greg in her arms. The young CSI, who always remembered her of a puppy. A genius puppy. The one who had welcomed her with open arms when she had to work at nightshift.  
"Are you feeling better?"  
"A little bit, yes. My body is alright."  
"What's about that sharp mind of you?"  
"Oh Greg." She hugged him again. He was cute.  
"Why is nobody hugging me?" Keith came out of his music room.  
"I can do that." Sara put the tea towel away. "Let's see how strong you really are." Said and jumped in Keith's arm.  
"Greg, you never told she jumps at men." Keith hold Sara and laughed.  
"Unfortunately she never did that to me."  
"If I would do that to you, Greggo, you'd break down and we both end up on the floor."  
"Probably. Your black eye suits you, fits good to your hair."  
"Shut up." She got out of Keith's arms. "How far are you with the case?"  
"Working on it. I'll have a snack and be back in the lab."  
"I could…"  
"You've got another night off and you'll stay here. Don't try to lure me in, Grissom told me everything. You're not expected to be back until tomorrow night."  
"Shit."  
"It's called being ill. And you still have a light headache."  
"What?"  
"I can see that in your eyes, Sara."  
"Oh, get your food and get lost."  
"She's so lovely when I'm right." Greg got a package of instant noodles.  
"You really gonna eat that?" Keith asked.  
"Yes I will. Not everybody is into healthy stuff and balance. Some of us do work and have no time to have a conversation with their food before they cut it into little pieces, cook it and eat it. I need something to fill me up, I need it fast and now."  
"The youth nowadays. Fast food and instant food. Awful. What did you ladies have?"  
"Pasta with tomato sauce and salad. I didn't know that Sara could cook." Sofia smiled.  
"I can. If I have more time I can cook real dinner."  
"You have time now, make us dinner." Keith suggested.  
"I'm not supposed to stand too long, sorry Keith."  
"Bugger. But right, you two should go back to bed or have a lazy afternoon on the couch. I'll prepare some dinner. Shall I leave you something for later, Greg?"  
"You mean as a breakfast tomorrow? Sure."  
"Alright. In that case I'll have a shopping tour." He whistled and Luna came inside. "Come on, Luna, we're going shopping I know you like that, you're a woman. They all love shopping." He petted the Border collie.  
"I don't like shopping." Sara mumbled.  
"You're not a real woman, Sara. You chase killer, you play with blood, you shoot guns, you're a man in a woman's body." Keith grinned and got a very evil look.  
"In that case, I'm a man in a woman's body too." Sofia said.  
"I've to say, you're the two most sexiest guys I've ever seen. I could become gay for you guys. Yeah, I might think about that while I'm shopping. Later man-ladies and Greg."  
"Later nutcase." Sara shook her head. This man was crazy. She wasn't a guy in a woman's body she was a modern woman.  
"He's right on one point." Greg looked at Sara and Sofia. "You should rest."  
"We're done here, we can have a lazy afternoon on the couch."  
"Sounds good to me." Sofia agreed. They took their juice and went in the living room.  
"What do you think of a movie?" Sara ran her finger over dvd cases. "Something funny?"  
"What can you offer?" Sofia sat on the couch, snuggling in a woolen blanket.  
"You'll laugh…Jungle Book, Finding Nemo, Aristocats, Pocahontas, Aladdin, Ice Age, Monster INC, Hercules…do I have to go on?"  
"Is there a child living in this house?"  
"Apparently. Keith has a huge collection of Disney and Pixar movies."  
"Looks like. Jungle Book would be great. Haven't watched that in ages."  
"Are you sure?" Sara asked skeptical.  
"Yes, if you don't mind."  
"I love singing along with them."  
"Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities. Forget about your worries and your strife." Sofia started to sing. Yes, that was a movie like made for them. It would put a smile in their face of around ninety minutes.  
"Am I not supposed to go shopping?" Sofia asked after they had finished the Jungle Book and were half through with Hercules.  
"Why? What do you need?"  
"Some small goods like…a bed, a wardrobe, things you need in your bedroom."  
"I don't think you're in the right condition for furniture shopping. You know what the doctor said, relax, take your time."  
"Yeah, but the doctor thought I've got a bed."  
"Am I that bad in bed?" Sara raised an eyebrow and grinned.  
"Now, but I don't want to hassle you."  
"You don't. You'd hassle me if we go shopping because I wouldn't let you go alone and I'm not supposed to go out."  
"Only if it's suits you."  
"Exactly." Sara's hand got lost in a huge bowl of potato chips. It was like cinema. They watched movies, had junk food, nobody was around disturbing them and they had a good time, ignoring the last two days.  
"Sara?"  
"Mhm?" The concern in Sofia's voice let Sara look at the blonde.  
"Do you think Brad will…accept my decision?"  
"No." That was the honest answer. Sara hoped he'd leave Sofia alone, but she doubted it. He was used to be in control, he made the decisions, having her running away would gnaw on his ego.  
"He'll find me."  
"Maybe not here but he'll be around the department, looking for you. Even for an egocentric guy like him it is obvious that you can't work right now but he'll knew when you'll be back and then he'll be there."  
"I'm afraid of that moment. When I want to walk to my car he'll appear out of the nowhere. I don't think I'll be strong enough to send him away."  
Sara turned off the TV and took Sofia's hand.  
"Jim knows what Brad did to you. He'll make sure that Brad won't be anywhere near the department."  
"Then he'll get me when I'm shopping or anywhere else. He'll get me. I have to be punished."  
"I hope the judge gets him in custody. That his trial will start soon."  
"The trial. They gonna want me as a witness."  
"As a witness and as prosecutor. The PA will need you and your statement to get him away. Only mine won't help."  
"What if I'm not strong enough the face him?"  
"You are."  
"If it comes to him I'm weak."  
"We'll get you strong, Sofia. He controlled your life long enough, it's time to take his power away and live your life. You'll have to face him, in and out court, that's for sure. Don't let him hurt you again. If he threatens you, you've got a gun. Use it. Shoot him. I don't mean kill him, just shoot him. With his history, you'll get self-defense. Fire a bullet in his knee and run."  
"You're not supposed to say something like that."  
"I am, that's what I've been trained on, that's why I have my weapon. Self-defense."  
"I'm a detective."  
"Act like one, kick his ass."  
"I wish I could."  
"You'll have some time to practice. Come on, I show you something." Sara pulled Sofia from the couch, out in the garden.  
On the left side of the house, hidden behind some bushes, was a building like a glass shed. She opened the door, which was nothing more like a huge window with a doorknob. Inside these ten by ten yards building was a treadmill, dumb-bells, cross trainer, an area for weight lifting and a sandbag.  
"You take a few more days of relaxing and then you can join us in here. Keith's in here two hours a day."  
"That explains why he looks like…a mix between a bear and a rock."  
"I thought about a mix between rock and tiger because he moves so smooth. Absolutely sexy."  
"Yeah I can understand why you moved in with him. And Greg. I think you can't get better male housemates."  
"We can't." Sara corrected.  
"You really wanna share them with me?"  
"It's you or anybody else and I prefer to share with you. Especially because you fit wonderful in our night working household." It wasn't good to have somebody in the house who worked day times. It was better when everybody was awake at nights and slept in the morning.  
"That's true. What is Keith doing?"  
"He's in a band, plays five nights in a club."  
"They must pay him a helluver money."  
"Yeah, that house is expensive and he told me, he wants housemates because it's boring alone and not because of the money."  
"So he's charming, good looking, fit, rich and plays an instrument. Exactly what every woman is looking for. What does he play?"  
"Keyboard, guitar, bass and drums. Everything. In his music room is a little studio, you never know, he might be a star one day."  
"And we can say, we shared a house with him."  
"He carried me."  
"You jumped in his arms. I thought my eyes we playing me a joke. That's not Sara Sidle at work, Miss Don't-Come-Too-Close-To-Me. You weren't that friendly when I was a CSI."  
"You wanted me to jump in your arms?" Sara chuckled.  
"Uhm…no."  
"See, I did everything right."  
"I'll let this sentence pass by without a comment. And yes, if we're allowed to use this stuff, I'll use it. Saves the time to go to the gym. First a long walk with Luna and then a work out. Perfect."  
"You'll catch a bad guy in a car on your feet after a few weeks."  
"Superwoman? I'm far away from being that. But I can try to come closer to her."  
"As long as superwoman doesn't forget to clean the bathroom once a week I'm fine with her."  
"I knew it, all you want is a cheap cleaner."  
"Busted." Sara laughed.

Gil had offered her to stay another night at home but Sara had insisted to come back to work. Two nights off were enough. When she entered the lab there was a surprise waiting for her.  
"They've got the sick bastards." Warrick greeted her.  
"What?"  
"These drive-by shooter, the guys who raped Sofia, they're in custody. They got them an hour ago. Cath, Nick and me are getting all the evidence together to make sure they won't come out anymore."  
"Really?" Sara was relieved. Finally. Not only that the men who raped Sofia would get punished for that, they also wouldn't shoot anymore at cops and CSI at crime scenes.  
"Yeah. So that means, Greg and you are on for all the other cases that will come in."  
"I'm fine with that. If you show me these guys I'd do something that makes me staying home for a long time."  
"Can't blame you for that. How's Sofia?"  
"Physically alright, emotional very shaky. She'll be happy to hear about the arrest."  
"I think Brass called her right away."  
"He can't, her cell phone is in her old apartment."  
"Greg gave him your landline number."  
"Smart guy."  
"Of course I am. You ever doubted that?" Greg came with his good smelling coffee along.  
"Sometimes I do doubt that, yes."  
"Distrust and skeptical, that's my favorite housemate. Come on, let's see what the boss has for us."  
Sara and Greg walked to Grissom's office.  
"Hey boss, what do you have for us?"  
"A man robbed a petrol station on the Strip, the one south of the Stratosphere, that's your case, Greg."  
"Okay, see you later, Sara." He took his file from Grissom and left.  
"What's about me?" Sara asked. She couldn't see another file.  
"You'll stay in the lab."  
"Gil…"  
"No, I'm not happy with you being back after only fifty hours so you'll stay inside. I had a 419 yesterday, you can do the lab work."  
"How long you do want me to be an assistant?" She wanted to say 'stupid slave' changed her mind in the last moment. Acting like a stubborn child wouldn't help her with Grissom.  
"If you're free from pain and don't feel dizzy you'll be back in the field tomorrow night. I want an honest answer when I ask you tomorrow."  
"Yes." She sighed. She was fine. Nothing she couldn't cope with.  
"Alright. Here's the file, we haven't got a real clue so far, maybe you'll find the hint we're looking for."  
"I'll try." She took the file and walked back to the break room. She could work from here until she had to go to the different labs. With having the shooting case hanging over her, everybody would be busy working on that stuff so there was no need to hurry.  
"It's a shame you didn't kick this guy in his balls." Wendy said when she came in the room and saw Sara's eye.  
"I thought it's better not to do so, he'll get off the hook easier when I fight back."  
"He got off the hook anyway."  
"Yeah, I'd feel better knowing he's sitting home, trying to cool his balls because my boots smashed them. Next time I forgot politics and concentrate on the kicks."  
"Scrambled eggs. You need somebody to practice?"  
"You've got a volunteer?" Sara laughed.  
"Take Hodges, will be good for his ego."  
"You mean will be good for us because his ego will shrunk too. I'll consider that. What do you have for me?"  
"DNA from the cigarette butt Grissom found. An unknown female, no hits in CODIS so far. I'll let it run through all other bases."  
"Thanks."  
"No worries."  
Sara closed her eyes. She wasn't sure if being threaten with care was worse than being in the field. Sitting in the lab caused more often a headache to her than working outside.  
When she was thinking about having a break Grissom came in the room. He looked worried and was obviously looking for words.  
"What's wrong?"  
"Sara…there was…I think you want to go to hospital."  
"To hospital? Why?" She felt good, what was he saying? If he was suggesting she needed an examination, she'd become very angry.  
"Brad found Sofia."  
"Shit." Sara jumped up. "What…did she shoot him?"  
"No…I wish…"  
"Gil." Sara begged. Why wasn't he telling her everything? How could he wish that she had shot him?  
"She's in hospital, in surgery."  
"Oh my God."  
"I figured you want to go there, Jim's there too. Get the evidence."  
"How bad is it?"  
"Very."  
"Shit." Sara swallowed hard.  
"And…did she invite anybody?"  
"Who? Sofia? No. She didn't tell anybody where she was." How the hell did Brad find them? Somebody must have told him Sofia was at Sara's place.  
"The report said somebody else was injured."  
"Greg's here, I'm here…oh God, Keith."  
"Your landlord?"  
"Yes, is he…?"  
"He's not serious injured according to the radio. Do you want me to drive you there?"  
"No, I'm fine…I think. I…I get my kit and go there."  
"I can send somebody else…"  
"No! Don't. I can handle it. And I think Sofia wants me to be there." Sara closed her eyes for a second.  
"I'll call you when I find out something new."  
"Good luck." He gave her a pat on the back.  
Again in the Desert Palms. Sara had spent too much time in here this week.  
"Hi, I'm Sara Sidle, I'm with the crime lab. Where is Sofia Curtis?" She went straight to the ER, not wasting any time at the front door.  
"Curtis…Curtis…she's still in surgery."  
"Do you know how she is?"  
"No, I'm sorry."  
"What's about Keith Black? He must be here too. Probably he arrived with the same ambulance like Sofia."  
"Yes, he's upstairs, he might be done. Mr. Hollister is in surgery too before you ask."  
"Oh." That was all she could say. Unless she wanted to say something like, Brad was exactly where he belonged and she hoped, he suffered, had no blocker and would slowly die.  
"Here, I wrote you the names of the doctors down."  
"Thank you." Sara took the paper and walked on. The elevator brought her up to intensive care unit.  
What did happen? How did Brad find Sofia? Did he know that Greg and Sara shared a house and followed Greg in the morning? Did he bribe somebody in the police department and got the information about Sofia's new home? How could he get all these so fast? Within two days.  
And she had told Sofia she was safe. Why didn't she pay more attention to Sofia's concern? She knew Brad and when she said, he'd find her, Sara should have done anything. But what? She couldn't lock Sofia in the room. How did Brad come in the house anyway? She doubted that anybody had opened him the door. Did he break in?  
"Sara?" A familiar voice calling her name got her out of her thoughts.  
"Keith!" There he was. His arm was in a sling, bruises were on his face, he had two black eyes and a few scratches.  
"I thought I outbid you with black eyes. You're trendy." He joked.  
"Oh Keith." She hugged him and pulled him close to her.  
"He, he, he, no need to cry, Honey." He caught a tear of her. "At least not if you're crying for me. How is Sofia? They don't want to tell me anything."  
"Still in surgery. It doesn't look good."  
"She looked bad."  
"What happened?" Sara didn't want to get out of Keith's arms and he let her stay in there.  
"I don't know. I was in my music room when I saw the red light of the alarm. I went out and saw this guy smacking Sofia around. I don't know how he came in and I didn't bother to ask. For my reputation I've to say he had a baseball bat and he hit me with it when it tried to stop him. Thanks to Sofia he didn't hit me again because jumped she at his back…and paid for it. He hit her on her head, it was an awful sound. Out of the blue there was a black and white shadow, Luna, who must have heard what was going on and went after Brad. She bit him, he was distracted and I could get his baseball bat and made the fight a little bit fairer.  
Luna backed off, placed herself between Sofia and us while I had a few rounds with Mister banker. You know, for a fucking banker he hits quite well. Eventually I placed a few swings in his face and a kick in his crotch – I know very unfair especially when you're a guy but he also didn't fight fair – and he went down.  
I called 911, tried to do something for Sofia Sara, there was so much blood. And I was afraid if I move her, I might hurt her even more. I had no idea which bones in her body were broken, I was sure, there were a few broken one, so I made sure her respiratory tracts were free and waited. When the ER came, I had to get Luna away from Sofia, she wanted to protect her, didn't want the medics to take her.  
They got her, Brad and me and together with the police we came to here. I hope I got that fucker hard."  
"He's in surgery."  
"I hope he stays and dies there."  
"Did you hit him that hard?"  
"I'm afraid I didn't. Should have. Perfect case of self-defense."  
"I'm happy that you didn't." Sara said.  
"Why?"  
"I want him in jail, suffering every day. I want him in cell with somebody who loves bashing banker, who enjoys raping guys who hit their girlfriends. I want him to feel pain for the rest of his life. I want him going down, want everybody to know what a coward he is."  
"That sounds good too." Keith kissed Sara's hair. "He'll get what he deserves."  
"I hope so. What happened to your arm?"  
"Sprained, as is my shoulder. His baseball bat. Some bruises, two black eyes, scratches. Nothing serious, I'm free to go and will be fine a few days."  
"I'm so sorry, I should have thought that he'll show up."  
"You've no reason to feel sorry. We all knew this fucker would show up and harass her, but we all didn't think it would be that fast. Our mistake. Never underestimate your enemy."  
"Is it okay if she stays?"  
"What a stupid question, use your brain, Miss Sidle, you're on duty. Of course Sofia can stay, we won't let her go anywhere, no matter what she wants. She'll stay right there with us."  
"Thanks…you wanted housemates, you're sure you were looking for us?"  
"Are you kidding me? You guys brought life in my life. We'll get the hot blonde out of here and celebrate a huge house Christmas. Greg told me you're kind of Grinch, you'll have to forget that this year. I want you in a sexy white mini and a white top, Sara. My little Christmas angel."  
"In your dreams."  
"In my dreams you wear Victory Secret. With the wings, of course."  
"You're crazy."  
"That's why we all fit together so well. So, do you need me to do anything? I talked to captain Brass, do you need anything from me?"  
"Yes, I need some evidence from your body and your shirt."  
"Honey, if you want me to strip, we should go home and take a lot of time for your examination. I'd like you to be very, very exactly. You've to examine every inch of me."  
"I think I start with your hands. Come on, I'll get us a room."  
"Uuuuh, I know a few things my hands can do to you in a room."  
"All they have to do is hold still and I'll scrub the nails for skin."  
"That doesn't sound as sexy as getting a room for us."  
"Being a CSI isn't known for having a sexy job."  
"Depends…you do have uniforms?"  
"You are alright. I can see that now." She bopped him softly. At least Keith was all right. He had nothing to do with the trouble between Sofia and Brad and got injured. She should have asked for an officer until the trial. Leaving them alone with Brad running around free was foolish. Sofia wasn't able to help herself and Keith wasn't trained to fight with an abusing boyfriend.

It didn't take long to get everything from Keith. By the time she found a nurse who could give her some information about Sofia, the blonde was out of surgery. Sara felt sick when she saw the list of all the injuries Sofia had. A broken arm, broken ribs, traumatic brain injury, broken nose, fracture of the collarbone, a broken finger, sprained wrists and so on. She wasn't sure if there was anything not broken in Sofia. Not to talk about interior injuries.  
"Doctor Miller?" He was the emergency doctor who did the surgery on Sofia. "I'm Sara Sidle with the crime lab…"  
"You want to see Miss Curtis."  
"Yes, please."  
"She's in an artificial coma, she can't talk to you."  
"I saw her injuries, I thought so. I need to get the evidence, a nurse gave me her clothes already…and I'd like to see Sofia."  
"You know her?"  
"We worked together…I…she left Desert Palms two days ago…"  
"I saw that in her file. She was raped. Not a good week for her"  
Sara thought about Sofia's life. "Not a good year for her." As far as she knew Sofia met Brad a year ago. With that all these trouble started.  
"The man, who did this to her, her boyfriend, attacked me two days ago when I wanted to examine her. I called security and he went into custody. She left here while he was in custody, we got her belongings out of the apartment and she moved in with me and Mister Black, who was also assaulted today by Mister Hollister…"  
"I remember, two male, one female. She was worst."  
"It's always that way." Sara mumbled.  
"That's sadly true. How much time will you need?"  
"I'll be fast…I don't think I can do much."  
"She's pretty much covered in bandages."  
"I thought so. But she'll be alright?"  
"She makes it through the night without any complications she'll be alright. But it will take some time."  
"I hope he suffers."  
"He's awake."  
"What a pity. Can you forget to give him anything for the pain?"  
"I'm afraid I can't."  
"Thought so. Well, I'm on duty I can't ask for that officially."  
"I won't tell anybody. Miss Curtis is in 5-17."  
"Thanks doctor." Sara took her kit.  
She was prepared to see nothing nice but when she entered the room and saw Sofia – or what she though was Sofia – tears came in her eyes. That wasn't a woman, that wasn't her colleague, that was a mummy, a white mummy in a white bed. For the first time she thought that all these white blankets look like she was looking at a body. All the medical equipment and the monotone beeping told her, Sofia – or what was left of her – was still alive.  
"Oh Sofia." Sara walked to the bed. It was almost impossible to see any skin because of the bandages, she stroke with her finger over Sofia's right hand, the one that wasn't broken. She was too scared to touch the face with all the injuries.  
"I'm so sorry, so damn sorry. If I...I should have stayed at home, I shouldn't have left you alone. I'm so sorry." She took a few seconds to get her control back. There was no reaction that Sofia could hear her.  
"I've to get the evidence; again. God, the second time. Gil thought, you'd like me to do it. I'm not sure what I can do besides taking photos, I'll try to get something from under your nails and…I think, that's it. I don't want to hurt you. Probably it doesn't matter how gently I am, every touch will hurt you. If it does, I hope you can show me somehow and that I notice and I'll stop immediately." She opened her kit and got the camera out.  
She took a lot of photos, trying not to disturb Sofia's privacy, took samples from the traces under Sofia's nails and took a chair to sit next to the bed.  
"You know." She stroke Sofia's hand again. "Keith helped out. I think you saw that, he told me, you jumped on Brad's back after he hit Keith with a bat. That gave Keith the change to fight back, but before he could start, Luna flew through the room, bit Brad and when Keith got him, Luna made sure she was between you and them. Keith had to hold her back when the medics arrived because she didn't want them to touch you. They say Border collies are the smartest breed, Luna must be top of the breed.  
Keith is all right, his shoulder is sprained but he makes dirty jokes, wanted me to examine him inch by inch. He wants us all back in the house ASAP, said we brought some life in life. I'm not sure if he meant action and trouble, but hey, he said the nice words so we'll believe him.  
I've to go, the doc said, I've got only a short time in here, you need some rest. I'll bring the things back to the lab, I won't examine Brad. Unfortunately they didn't want me to do that. I had really nice ideas how I could let him suffer, believe me. But he won't get out this time. He'll go straight in custody and he won't get out this time, no chance that his lawyer will bail him out. He'll rotten in a cage and I hope, he'll be in one with very vicious inmates.  
And we've got the shooter. They caught them and we could nail them. Actually it was you, who got them. The evidence I got from you had the DNA of them, you brought them in, well done, detective." She wanted Sofia to know it was her who caught the men.  
A knock on the door let Sara stop. A nurse came in.  
"I'm sorry, Miss Sidle, but you need to go now, Miss Curtis needs to rest."  
"I know." Sara got up, stroke once again Sofia's hand. "You'll make sure you'll be fine and we'll make sure Brad gets what he deserves. I'll be back as soon as I'm allowed to visit you and I'm sure the other will do the same. And don't worry about Kitty, I'll take care of her."  
With one last look Sara left the room.

Sara came back in the morning and the next evening, but she wasn't allowed to go in the room and Sofia was still sleeping.  
It was not until the second morning when the nurse told her, Sofia was awake and could have a very short visit. When Sara left the elevator she bumped into Keith.  
"Hello angel of the night, how are you?"  
"Did you see Sofia?"  
"Yes. She was more asleep than awake, so I told her about Kitty, Luna, Greg and you. And I told her to hurry up because she has to be out of hospital by Christmas otherwise she'll miss out seeing me in my hot, sexy and short Santa Claus costume."  
"Hot, sexy and short Santa Claus costume?" Sara smirked.  
"Yes, I hope you'll have the same one as an angel."  
"No, I won't."  
"Pity. Anyway, I could swear Sofia smiled when I told her about the costume. She's more awake than we think."  
"Or you put a nice dream in her head."  
"She should wait until she sees me in my Easter bunny costume."  
"The scary thing is, I believe you have one."  
"You'll find out at Easter time."  
"Yeah. Did you work?"  
"The whole night that's why I'm here so early. I'll go home now and have some sleep. See you later at home."  
"Yeah, have a good day sleep."  
"Likewise. Is Greg coming here too?"  
"He's home, had a double shift and wants to visit Sofia before he goes back to the lab."  
"Then I'll see him later at home. Later angel."  
"Later bunny."  
She knocked on the door and walked in the room. There were still a lot of bandages on Sofia but plasters replaced some.  
"Good morning Sleeping Beauty." She walked to the bed and found Sofia with open eyes.  
"He." Sara's heart broke when she heard the thin voice.  
"You know, white isn't your color, Miss Curtis. I prefer you in darker colors but I'll forgive you this time. Is there any need to ask how you are or is it too obvious?"  
"I feel like shit but I'm alive. I…I thought he'd kill me…" A nurse came in the room. When she saw Sara her smile disappeared.  
"You can't be in here, Miss Curtis needs to rest and I need to give her her medications."  
"I can wait outside."  
"She needs to rest."  
"I want Sara in." Sofia said.  
"You need to rest…"  
"I slept for two days…I want her here."  
"Five minutes. But I need you to be out while I do the examination." The nurse looked at Sara.  
"No problem. Thanks." She got up. "I'll be back in a minute. Be a good girl."  
It took the nurse a few minutes until she came out of the room.  
"I'm not happy with you keeping her awake, but she said, if I don't let you back in the room she won't take her medicine."  
Sara bit her lip no to smile. Sofia was a stubborn child.  
"I won't stay long."  
"She needs to rest."  
"I know." Sara went back in the room. "Hey, I heard you're stubborn."  
"Bitch wanted to leave you outside."  
"You're swearing, you'll be fine soon." Sara took Sofia's hand.  
"Can't let her break her word."  
"She's worrying about you, give her some credit for that."  
"I do rest. Tell me what happened while I slept."  
"Brad's lawyer tried a lot of things to get him out but he had no chance, he'll stay in custody until the trial. Brass made sure the cellmates are not the nicest ones, so he might get a bit of what he deserves. They all ask how you're doing, want you back. Keith says you've to make it back home until Christmas."  
"I can remember him saying something about a sexy, hot and short Santa Claus costume he wanted to wear."  
"So he was right. He said, he saw you smiling."  
"I liked that picture."  
"So do I. They've got the shooting gang, all of them. They'll be locked away for a long, long time."  
"That's good. I remember Brass calling…"  
"Don't think, just listen. We did our jobs, we've got the gang and Brad in prison, now all we need is you getting well soon. Kitty misses you and Luna looks every day a few times where you are. And your mother called."  
"Oh shit…what did you tell her?"  
"Well, I had to tell her that you're in hospital and who did it. I didn't tell her more."  
"Thanks."  
"She'll be here today."  
"I think that's natural."  
"Yes." At least that was what Sara would expect her mother to do if she had one.  
"She…might wants to talk to you…making sure her baby is fine in her new place…"  
"She can come along, I'll make sure Keith isn't wearing his hot, sexy and short Santa Claus costume…or would she like that?"  
"Which woman wouldn't?"  
"True. I'll talk him in."  
"No, just tell her I'm fine with you guys…" Sofia stopped and closed her eyes.  
"You need to rest, I'll leave you alone now."  
"Do you come back?"  
"You bet. Greg will be here tonight if your personal nurse dragon lets him in. I'll come back tomorrow morning. Shall I smuggle some bagels inside?"  
"Chocolate?"  
"Or chocolate. Sleep now, Sofia. I want you back very soon." Sara stroke Sofia's hand.  
"I look forward to be back…"  
"Good. Good night."  
"Likewise." Sara sent a smile to Sofia and left the room. Well, the detective was awake, she could talk, slowly and you could see it was difficult for her, she had a lot pain but she was alive. And she would be all right in a few weeks. Until that time Sara and the two men had to make sure the blonde wasn't overexert herself. A hard job when she was out of the hospital and Sofia would make sure she was out here soon.

Middle of December

"They don't want to let me out." Sofia was annoyed. One and half weeks she was in hospital and she was bored. Serious bored.  
"I'm not surprised." Sara smiled. The blonde still looked like she was hit by a train and needed a lot of medical attention.  
"I'm sick of being here, the bed isn't comfortable, the food is horrible and I'm getting crazy here. I want to go home."  
"Sofia, you had a list of injuries that longer than the cosmetic surgeries of Cher…"  
"That's impossible!"  
"…of course they don't let you out after one week."  
"One and a half. I have no interior injuries, my arm can heal anywhere else too, my head…"  
"…is stubborn as usual, yes I noticed that. But it doesn't change that you suffered from several head injuries and your broken jaw…"  
"Are you on my side or on their side?"  
"I'm on your side that why I support them."  
"So you're against me."  
"Sofia." Sara sighed and sat next to the blonde on the bed. "I don't want to bring you to hospital because your stubborn head wanted to get out of here but the rest of your body wasn't ready. I want to celebrate Christmas with you, with a healthy Sofia. At least as healthy as possible. I prefer to have you a few more days in here and then you don't need to come back than having you back home now, something happens and you've to be here over Christmas or worse."  
"Chicken."  
"Sensible."  
"I need time for shopping, Christmas is on its way. I need to buy presents, I have to buy furniture, I can't sleep the whole time in your bed."  
"You slept there twice."  
"Yeah, it's your bed. I need to be out of this hospital."  
"You need to stop worrying. Listen, I'll bring you my laptop and you can have a look at furniture. You choose, we go and get it for you. When the doc releases you, you'll come to a lovely room with a bed and wardrobe and the only thing you have to do is sit down and enjoy all these new stuff."  
"You're not my slave."  
"I know. But you'll stay in here a few more days and there's no way that I'll try to talk to doc into something else."  
"You're against me."  
"You know that's not true." Sara took Sofia's hand. "I want you healthy. I want you fit. I want you to stop fighting the doctor. The more you annoy him the longer he'll keep you here."  
"He'll kick me out if I go on."  
"No, he won't. He'll get stubborn and you'll end up sitting in hospital while we have Christmas dinner."  
"Blackmailing."  
"Truth."  
"I hate you all." Sofia pulled Sara in her right arm. They had gotten close in the last one and a half week. From colleagues to friends, it had irritated both of them first but they found out at the same moment, they were more alike than they had thought. "You don't want to set me free, you don't want to hide me in your bag and smuggle me out of this prison."  
"I prefer to walk out of the building with you, Sofia. Legal."  
"I want to be back home for Christmas."  
"You will if you don't try to escape. That's what the doctor promised."  
"They freed Willy why don't they free me?"  
"You're not a killer whale and nobody is going to hurt you here."  
"I'll die just like…what was his name?"  
"Keiko."  
"Did he die?"  
"The orca Keiko died in December 2003 in Norway."  
"See, even he was allowed to die in freedom."  
"You won't die and you'll be free soon."  
"But…"  
A knock on the door stopped Sofia. A nurse came inside.  
"Hello, how are you, Miss Curtis?"  
"She's complaining that she's hold here like a prisoner. I think she's getting better." Sara answered for Sofia with a wide grin.  
"Usually when they complain they are, yes." The nurse smirked.  
"She's the worst of all." Sofia pointed with her finger at the nurse. "She took away the chocolate Greg brought." The worst thing somebody could do to Sofia. Taking away her only joy, as she said.  
"Chocolate is too hard for you jaw."  
"I can suck it like a lolly."  
"You can have all these things a few days."  
"See, she's mean."  
"I'm so glad I'm not your nurse, Sofia." Sara stood up. "I'll leave you to your nurse and have a little chat with your doctor before I go home."  
"Don't forget to stop by and take me with you."  
"When the doctor says so, I'll be here and get you home."  
"You are all mean. Mean. Mean. Mean."  
Sara laughed and left the room. Yes, Sofia was complaining that was a good sign. People who were annoying were usually quite all right.

"Wow, what's that?" Sara opened the door and stared at Greg and the two men behind him with a huge packet.  
"That's the bed of our queen."  
"What?"  
"Sofia's bed. I brought her my laptop and she found herself a new bed, a wardrobe, a huge desk and a bookshelf. Feel like playing Bob the builder?" Greg had taken his laptop to hospital after Sara told him, Sofia wanted to have a look for furniture.  
"I thought he builds buildings."  
"Why do you call it building if it's already built?"  
"I help you." Sara sighed. When Greg started to annoy her with stupid questions, it was better to do what he wanted you to do.  
It took the two men a quarter of an hour until they had everything in the room. After that it was Greg's and Sara's job to build everything up. The men were only there for carrying.  
"Where do you want to start?" Greg asked.  
"The wardrobe. If you start with the bed we won't have so much space. The wardrobe is on the wall and we'll enough space for the shelf and the desk."  
"She's trying not to build up the bed so that she can keep Sofia in her bed." Keith came in the room.  
"You're talking about yourself?" Sara countered.  
"I never had her in my bed."  
"Poor boy, you can have another try when she's back."  
"I'm not into blond." He took a look at the furniture. "Bright wood, less hassle with dust. Smart woman. I like that."  
"Do her a favor and build her furniture up."  
"I can't, I've to work. I'm going to order some Thai later, you want too?"  
"Sure." Sara liked Thai food.  
"Not for me, I've got something left of yesterday. It's leftover day." Greg sighed.  
"Alright. Is seven alright for you, Sara?"  
"Perfect."  
"I thought you're working." Greg wondered.  
"I work here, in the music room."  
"Oh, okay."  
"See you later." Keith turned and left.  
"What exactly is he doing?" Sara asked.  
"You mean beside the live music in the club? I've no idea. He spends hours in his room, I don't think they're practicing the whole time. Writing new songs? He takes his music very serious, maybe it takes him ages until he's satisfied with a song"  
"Dedicated to his work, the perfect requirement for a CSI."  
"That's why we both are so good in our job." He cut the first box open. "Let's see how good we are in building up furniture."  
"Can't be worse than dismantle a car."  
"We'll see."

Christmas

"Come on."  
"I'm a convalescent patient, Sara. Give me a second to get some air." Sofia stopped on the top of the stairs. She had made it home. Finally out of the hospital. Two days before Christmas day and she was free to go. After over two weeks. Well the thing with the go part was a something she had to work on. She couldn't walk far and not much without pain.  
"A few yards and you're tired? Are you sure you're all right? Maybe you need a few more days in hospital…ouch." The bop Sofia gave Sara proved the blonde was fit enough.  
Sara opened her bedroom door and Kitty greeted both women.  
"Hey my baby." Sofia bent down and petted her cat. "Did you miss me? Sure you did." Kitty pressed her head on Sofia's legs.  
"She did. The first two days she didn't eat."  
"You never told me!"  
"Of course not, you weren't supposed to worry about her, you had enough to do to worry about yourself."  
"Don't treat me like a baby."  
"I don't."  
"I'm so happy to be back home. I missed your bed." Sofia dropped her little bag. "But I want to see my room, start making plans about how it could look after I've bought all my furniture, build it up and decorated it. I think I'd like to have some poster of the ocean and national parks on my wall and…a bookshelf. I want photo books."  
"Photo books?"  
"Yes, you know, you can order them online. You upload your photos from your digital camera and create photo books. Completely with text, photos in different sizes and…I need to go on holidays for that. I want nature pictures. Sara, do you go on holiday with me?"  
"Me?" What did Sofia have in her breakfast? Did she order a coffee with ten times of the caffeine it usually had?  
"Yeah, I bet you've got so much overtime and holiday accumulated, you can easily leave for a week."  
"It's bloody winter."  
"Snow can be beautiful. What do you think?"  
"I think the next few weeks you won't go anywhere, you'll stay at home and get fit again. Maybe we can have a week off in May and go up to Yosemite. It's beautiful there when the whole valley is covered in blossoms."  
"Sounds like I'd like it."  
"You will. Come on, go in your room and plan."  
"You want me out of your room already?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, almost five minutes, that's alright for us." Sofia grinned and walked through the bathroom to her bedroom door.  
"Oh Kitty, your toilet is next to ours, that's handy. And it has a roof for privacy, you've got spoiled."  
"She needed some luxury, she told me."  
"Of course she does, she's a woman. They all need…wow!"  
Sara smiled. They didn't tell Sofia about the furniture. She thought Greg had only looked with her to have a look around if he could get the things somewhere cheaper.  
"Everything alright?" With a smile on her face Sara came in Sofia's room. The blonde fell her around the neck.  
"You're the best."  
"Say that to Greg, he ordered that."  
"He never told me…I've to give him money…damn it, that was expensive."  
"He owes you some money."  
"You mean I owe him money."  
"No, he owes you. Remember how you mentioned a few times that you don't want the old apartment? That you want everything sold? Well, Greg and Keith did that, they sold everything in it and Greg bought from that money these things. We added the two super size posters because you said you love the ocean and Keith organized a little cat protection for your balcony. On top of the railing is an extra railing that stops Kitty from jumping on it. She can go out now and is safe."  
"You guys are simply crazy." Sofia kissed Sara's cheek. "This coming home is better than I've ever imagined it. And believe me, I had a few imaginations about it. I've got my own room and it's perfect."  
"Yes, your own bed."  
"You did everything to get rid off me."  
"You wanna sleep in my bed again?"  
"No." Sofia laughed.  
"Well, you're free to do so, I won't be there. If you don't like your bed feel free to sleep in mine." Another thing, Sara didn't want to mention was, that she expected Sofia's nightmares to be back. She got attacked, she had time now to think, there was nobody else in the room like in hospital, the nightmares would come back, they would haunt the blonde and Sara knew from her own nightmares, it could be good if you had somebody to hold on for a minute or two, until you cleared your head and really knew, it was all only a dream.  
"I'll enjoy my bed. I'll even enjoy being alone in bed again. Will be…relaxing."  
"Thanks."  
"You know I wasn't talking about you."  
"I know." Sara took Sofia in her arms. "Forget him, he's the past. A past with a long time in jail."  
"Hopefully."  
"And you'll have a wonderful time here, a new start, a new house and a new experience: house sharing."  
"Am I not too old for something like that?"  
"I thought the same about myself. I'm not I like it. At least I liked it as far. Let's see how you are as a house mate and more important, how it is to share a bathroom with you."  
"I'll spend hours in here."  
"I'll kick your ass."  
"You won't, I'll lock the door."  
"Are you looking for some trouble on your first real day together as house mates?"  
"Yes."  
"You are feeling better." The investigator grinned.  
"Yes."  
"You've no idea how happy I am to know that." She placed her arm around Sofia. "Come on, let's go down and get something to eat. Rumors are there's a chocolate mud cake waiting for you."  
"Choc mud? I died! I'm in heaven."  
"You reckon?"  
"Well, yes. Somebody got me a fantastic room, a choc mud cake and my personal guardian angel is right next to me. It must be heaven."  
"I'd be a bad guardian angel if I let you die. I don't do anything bad. You're alive, Sofia."  
"Then this might be the first day a period of good times. Let the good times roll!"  
They walked in the kitchen and the promised chocolate mud cake was in the fridge. Sara cut two pieces, put them for half a minute in the microwave and served it with ice cream and cream,  
"I love you. I truly do." Sofia sighed. Self made chocolate mud cake, warm, ice cream and cream, this was heaven.  
"Really?"  
"Yes. And makes it even harder to break your heart by telling you I'm not interested in women. What is really a pity, having you around. You'd be perfect for me. Working in the law enforcement, decorating my room exactly the way I'd do it, having cake with ice cream for me, taking care of my cat and you were with me every day in hospital. Sara Sidle, you're the perfect woman for me."  
Sara started laughing. "Thank you very much. You didn't mention how I am in bed."  
"Oh, the snuggling, cuddling minder, another thing a love about you."  
"On the job."  
"Always doing and saying what I'm thinking, no need to talk you know what you do and what I need you to do…you think there's a way I change my mind? That I can fall for you? It's just too perfect"  
"Every time something is too perfect, it's not perfect at all." Keith came in the living room. "Good to see you home, Sofia." He kissed her cheek and hugged her.  
"Good to know this is still my home. Thanks Keith, for having me here, for the room and taking care of the apartment."  
"You're welcome. Greg and Sara were the builders."  
"That's why the wardrobe is slightly...it's perfect." Sofia when she caught Sara's narrowed eyes.  
"You wanna join us for a slice of cake?"  
"I'd love but…" The doorbell rang. "…work's waiting."  
"Tell your guys they're welcome to have a slice too." Sara said. If the two would try to eat the whole cake alone, they'd feel very sick at the end. One big slice was saved for Greg, the rest was free to give away.  
"We can't eat Sofia's cake she just made you a declaration of love for." He smirked.  
"Right…uhm…I can't remember the last time somebody made a declaration of love to me this public."  
"You were surrounded by the wrong people. I know that problem." Sofia took another spoon of the cake. This was too good. If nobody would stop her, she'd eat the whole cake. Here was no nurse who was telling her, chocolate wasn't good for her, who tried to force vegetables in her.  
"Possible."  
"Now you've got me and I'll tell you more often that I love you when you bake a cake and give me cream and ice cream with it. You can have my love on a daily base."  
"I don't want it to become routine, I take the unexpected love declarations." Sara grinned. There was no way she'd feed Sofia every day with cake, this was a special day, the blonde was back from hospital.  
"Ladies, say hello to our guest. We made the decision, we'd like a slice of cake. We take it with us so we won't disturb you."  
Sara and Sofia almost choked when they saw who was behind Keith.  
"Hello." Sara wasn't sure if her eyesight was all right.  
"Hi." Sofia started to think if Sara had put some alcohol in the cake and the alcohol together with the medicine made her high.  
"Hey Ladies."  
"Aren't they lovely? I told you, I've got wonderful house mates." Keith cut two slices, placed them on his hand. "Thanks Ladies. Later."  
"Thank you very much. See you later."  
"Later." Sara and Sofia stared unable to do or say more than this one word. It took them a minute until they could talk again.  
"Did you put any alcohol in the cake?" Sofia asked.  
"No."  
"Maybe I had too many pills. I saw…you'll call me crazy if I tell you whom I saw."  
"Maybe we suffer the same disease."  
"Michael Rock."  
"I had the same vision."  
"We lost it."  
"Totally."  
"We acted like stupid school girls."  
"Absolutely."  
"We embarrassed ourselves."  
"Doubtless."  
"He'll think we're dumb."  
"Completely."  
"You think there's a way we can make up for that?"  
"Never."  
"Shit."  
"Yes."  
Sofia looked at Sara. "That room is soundproof?"  
"Yes."  
"They can't hear us?"  
"No."  
"I SAW MICHAEL ROCK!" Sofia screamed and clapped her hands. "Michael Rock!"  
"In our living room!" Sara added and smiled stupid. Michael Rock. One of the hottest musicians at the moment. The sexiest man at a piano America had to offer. This man, six foot two tall, around one-eighty pounds, deep green eyes, stunning smile and fingers that could do magic on a keyboard was in their house.  
"I want this man under the Christmas tree as my present; dressed in nothing more than a ribbon." Sofia sighed.  
"We can try to keep him here that long."  
"What is he doing here?"  
"Working with Keith."  
"How famous is Keith?"  
"I've no idea. I thought he's a Las Vegas club musician."  
"Well, in that case, Michael Rock was in the club and liked what Keith did or we don't know much about our landlord."  
"We can find out. You'll detect and I'll investigate."  
"You're working tonight, run his name."  
"That's highly illegal."  
"Who cares?"  
"I'll try."  
"Good. I'll search the house…"  
"You'll be in bed, you need to rest."  
"I can't detect in bed…unless Keith comes in my bed…which I don't think he will. He's not into blonde."  
"Racist."  
"I tell you. So I've got a woman who's perfect for me and a man who's perfect. That's what I call a house. How am I supposed to make a decision between the two of you?"  
"Did it ever occur to you to ask us if we're interested in you? Obviously Keith isn't into blondes, maybe it's the same with me. Ask first then be happy." Sara offered sweet.  
"No, I don't ask question that might be answered with things I don't want to hear. It's better not ask and build a lovely pink fantasy world."  
"Fair enough." Sara had to admit that was a nice way of handling fantasy and avoiding rejections.  
"You know it's really not fair that you can stay here and I've to work." Greg sad with sad puppy eyes.  
"I've tonight you've got tomorrow night."  
"Yeah I owe you for that." Sara had passed her day off to Greg so that they both had a free Christmas day. Sara's was tonight, Christmas Eve, Greg's was tomorrow. She didn't care and he had a family dinner for the Christmas Day.  
"No, you don't. That's what friends do."  
"I'm happy to have you as a friend." He hugged her. "I hope you'll have a lovely night and don't nibble too much from the cookies."  
"I try not to." She laughed.  
"Will you be awake the whole night?"  
"At least a good part, yes. I need my rhythm; it's not worth to loose it for only one night. I've got some Christmas mails to write and a book to read."  
"You could watch Christmas movies."  
"Me?"  
"Yeah, you're right, I forgot, it's you, the Grinch." He kissed her cheek. "I better go. See you tomorrow, I'll make some breakfast for you when I'm back."  
"Wake me up then we can have breakfast together."  
"And go to bed together…you know, go together in out own beds…"  
"I got you, Greggo."  
"You always do." He blinked at her and left.  
She sat down on the sofa. Next to the big tree. Like Keith had told them, he got a huge Christmas tree in the living room. A living tree. The fir from his garden. She had no idea why he had it there and if he dug it out once a year for Christmas. But hell, no that was the wrong word for Christmas, heaven, it was seven foot tall and full with glittering Christmas tree balls, tinsel and gift boxes under the tree. So crazy. So Keith.  
She had no idea if she had been sleeping or was simply lost in her thoughts but she didn't hear Keith coming in.  
"Looks nice, doesn't it?"  
"Yes." He affrighted her without scaring her. "Where do you get all these boxes from?"  
"They're your Christmas gifts."  
"Yeah, sure."  
"You know, with snow outside it would be better. One day I want to have Christmas in snow. What about you?"  
"I don't really care about Christmas. I'm not religious, I'm not a family person."  
"You don't have to be religious to like Christmas. Most people have no idea what it is about, they see the gifts. When I was a little boy my grandmother told me the Christmas story every year. I was always interested and asked a lot of questions like why the three kings needed so long to come to the shed and why they were still in it, how long they've lived in there and if they didn't get in trouble for that with the owner."  
"Did your grandmother like that?"  
"Yes, she did. Showed her I was listening and thinking. I don't know how much she made up but I loved her stories. And I loved the idea of sitting beside a fire, looking out of the window and seeing snow falling down. Having a huge dinner with family and friends, sitting there for hours, laughing, talking, exchanging small gifts and celebrating until the next morning. I prefer the Christmas celebration they've in some European countries, celebrating on Christmas Eve. I think it's nice to meet in the evening, after church and then spend the whole night together.  
And with one thing you were wrong, you are a family person, otherwise you wouldn't live here with us. All you need is a family, some people around you, who love you and take care of you. I don't know if you've found that here but I hope you will one day. Until then, why don't we start with a dance under the Christmas tree?"  
"A dance under the tree?"  
"Sure." Keith walked to the stereo and seconds later Christmas music filled the room, not too loud because he knew Sofia was upstairs sleeping. Out of hospital or not, she was still ill and needed a lot of sleep.  
"May I have the pleasure of the next dance?"  
"You may." Sara took his hands. Okay, she would dance under the Christmas tree. To a Christmas song. She had no idea who was singing this song, it was a female and it sounded old to Sara. Knowing Keith it was a classic. This man didn't look like it but he was full of tradition and old-fashioned surprises. All in the right way.  
"Maybe I become a Christmas fan tonight." She snuggled in his arms.  
"I could feed you with cookies, it's after midnight so you're allowed to eat them."  
"Is it?" Time was running.  
"Mhm, just about."  
"Well, in that case, merry Christmas, Keith."  
"Merry Christmas, Sara." He got his finger under her chin, pulled it up and kissed her gently.  
Now she was a fan of Christmas!

When Sara woke up it was dark around her apart from the lights on the Christmas tree. She must have been fallen asleep in the living room and she had a very weird Christmas dream. No, not weird, a really nice one, but…wait. She wasn't on the sofa, she was laying on the floor under a blanket. Why would she do that? Why would she sleep literally under the Christmas tree, on the floor? There was no reason to…she stopped breathing for a second. There was a hand, an arm, around her. She wasn't alone.  
Slowly she turned and found herself looking in Keith's eyes.  
"Hey, why don't you sleep?"  
Why she didn't she sleep? That was his question? Her question was, why was he here with her under the tree and why had she the feeling she was naked?  
"I just woke up." At least she thought she was awake. Maybe she was still asleep and dreamed this.  
"So did I. Dreamed something nice?"  
This had to be a dream. This couldn't be real.  
"I think I'm still dreaming."  
"Why?"  
"I don't think this is real. I don't think I'm really lying here with you under the Christmas tree."  
"You do, believe me."  
"I do?" She had weird dreams sometimes, but she never had this kind of conversation in her dreams. What was something new, her dreams had changed. To good that was for sure.  
Keith pulled her in his arms and kissed her. That felt real too. His lips on hers, his tongue softly playing with hers and suddenly there were pictures in her head. His hands over her, her hands under his shirt, his lips kissing her neck, her lips kissing his chest.  
"Oh my God."  
"You can call me Keith."  
"This isn't a dream."  
"No, it isn't." He laughed lightly. "Scared?"  
"Horrified."  
"That's not exactly a compliment."  
"If we had sex Greg and Sofia will kill us."  
"Will they? Why?" He was amused.  
"He has a crush on me and she has one on you."  
"It was you who got the declaration of love."  
"For the chocolate mud cake."  
"Better than nothing. And I don't think she has any interest in me or any other man. She'll be happy to have no man in her life right now. And Greg? Come on, he knows you'll never be more than friends and he's fine with that. Otherwise he would have never asked you to move in here."  
"You sure?"  
"Very sure. We didn't hurt any of our friends."  
"Thanks God for that. Christmas is not the best day to get a bad news."  
"Is it a good day for falling in love?"  
"I don't know. What did your grandmother tell you in her stories?" Sara cocked her head.  
"Christmas is the feast of love."  
"So it must be a good day." Sara moved closer to Keith and kissed him. Yes, she was really awake. It wasn't a nice dream, it was better, it was wonderful reality.  
"That was not the Christmas gift I've ordered!"  
Sara opened her eyes. What was Greg doing in her bedroom? Why was her bed…oh shit, she was still in the living room.  
"Look at that! She barely gets her eyes open."  
Now she could see Sofia next to Greg.  
"Well, well, well looks like Santa Claus brought something special for Sara." Sofia was amused.  
"You guys ever heard something about privacy?" Keith asked with a smile when he sat up, Sara's hand in his.  
"You guys ever heard something about bedrooms?" Greg countered.  
"No time."  
"No time?"  
"Oh come, Greg, sex under the Christmas tree is romantic." Sofia sighed. "It's Christmas, you need to use the spirit if Christmas. They can have each other the rest of the year in their bedroom, but this is special. I want the same for next year."  
"Is that an offer?" Greg smiled.  
"Are we only allowed to date people from our house?"  
"If this gives me the chance to date a hot blonde, the answer is definitely yes."  
"Oh."  
"I heard the declaration of love Sofia made Sara, Greg I'm afraid, you're chances are small."  
"Well, you took Sara away, I'm the only one who's left…I'm the leftover."  
"You're not a leftover." Sofia hugged Greg. "Come on, we leave these two love birds alone until they're dressed. We can start the coffee."  
"Yeah, I don't want to see Keith naked."  
"I wouldn't mind…but no, we take care of the breakfast." Sofia put her right arm around Greg and got him out of the living room.  
Sara moaned. This wasn't the way she wanted the day to start.  
"I'm with you on that, but hey, we don't have to think about how to tell them or how they might react. We know now. And so do them."  
"Yes, they do." Sara sat up. "Not the way I wanted them to find out."  
"Neither was it mine. Not everything can be perfect. I've got a perfect woman next to me, I'm happy with that." He kissed her.  
"So are we making more out of this than sex under the Christmas tree once…twice?"  
"I hope so. Or did you plan to use me for this one night experience?"  
"No."  
"Good." He smiled and grabbed his boxer shorts. "Shirt?"  
"Yes, please." She took her clothes from him and made the decision it was enough to put on pants and jumper. "I'll grab a shower and see you at the breakfast."  
"I'll take a shower myself." He got up. "Sara?"  
"Yes?"  
"I'd be very stupid to mess with you, we're living together. I'm not that stupid and as far as I know you're a damn smart woman."  
"I've got you." She smiled.  
"Good. Want me to wash your back?"  
"No because I want to have breakfast within the next few minutes."  
"Means if we shower together you can't get your hands off me? I understand."  
"Smug bastard." But he wasn't too wrong with that. She trusted herself less than him. Having under the shower…don't think about it, Sara!  
"See you in a bit."  
"Yeah later." She walked upstairs, grabbed a few clothes and turned the water in the shower on hot. This was definitely a different Christmas. She had sex with Keith. Okay, she knew she was attracted to him. There was been no doubt about that, not for her. He was good looking man, he had humor, charm and he was sensitive. She liked all the little things he did for his friends without really knowing that he did them. At least it never seemed like he paid extra attention to them. He just did them. If it was something like surprising Greg with a full shopping bag because Keith was shopping before Greg woke up, found his list and got all the groceries or paying special attention what photos Sofia liked so that he and Sara could get this two huge ocean posters or leaving her the book, she mentioned the night before she wanted to read, in front of her door with a little note she shouldn't forget there was a world outside the book. He was special.  
She was in her underwear when Sofia got her out of her thoughts.  
"Knock, knock!"  
"Come in." Sara opened the door.  
"Scrambled eggs, boiled eggs or fried eggs?"  
"Sunny side down, please."  
"No problem."  
"Sofia?"  
"Mhm?" The blonde stopped, looked at Sara and handed her a jumper that had fell down the valet stand.  
"Thanks."  
"Can't let you catch a cold."  
"With all these steam in here? Unlikely." Sara put the jumper on.  
"Better safe than sorry."  
"Are you alright? I mean with Keith and me?"  
"Oh Sara, you don't have to worry about me. Believe me I am very happy that there's no man in my life at the moment and I don't want to change that. Sure, your Keith is special, he's gorgeous looking, he's charming and has humor but he's a man and I've got enough of them for the next months. I've no idea how long it will take until the emotional scars of Brad are gone and but I don't want any man in life before at least all the physical scars are gone and that will take some time, he made sure of that."  
"Thanks." Sara hugged Sofia. "I don't want to fight with you over a man."  
"You won't. Beside that, you were the one who got my declaration of love, not him. He's great but you're more special."  
"But you don't want to break my heart." Sara laughed.  
"No, that's why I'll stop now saying things like that and go back to the kitchen. Sorry Hon, you have to be happy with Keith, you won't get me."  
"I think, one day, when I'm over you, I'll be happy with Keith." Sara smirked.  
"That's the spirit." Sofia blinked at her and left.  
"Crazy people." She smiled and left the bathroom. It looked like this could be the first Christmas she actually had fun. With her bag of presents she left her room and walked down to the kitchen.  
"Oh look Santa Clause." Keith smiled. "What do you call the female version? Is there a female version?"  
"You're the one with the Christmas story, Keith, you tell us."  
"My grandmother never mentioned a female version. The Catholic church isn't very open to women."  
"Are you Catholic?" Sara cocked her head and looked at her new boyfriend. Boyfriend. Hah. What a Christmas. Santa Clause – or whoever – brought her a hot boyfriend.  
"If I am would that be a problem for you?"  
"Let me think of it…you are not into their rules, not entirely otherwise we both sinned last night, in the holy night. So, even if you are, I think, it won't matter because you don't live strictly by their rules."  
"Good."  
"Are you?" Damn it, he was full of mystery, she had to figure a few of his secrets out.  
"Yes I am."  
"All the lady wanted was an answer." Greg grinned. "She's a good investigator, she won't let you off the hook only because you ignore her answer."  
"I can see that. Anything else you want to know, Sara?"  
"A few things but they can wait until later."  
"Breakfast is served."  
"I'm with you in a sec, need to bring the presents under the tree."  
"She's so lovely domestic and full of the Christmas spirit." Keith sighed and grinned wide.  
„Sorry guys it's really time for me to go to bed." Greg rose. "Otherwise I'll sleep too long and miss the family dinner."  
"That means no presents from mummy to Greggy."  
"Shut up, Sara. I'll see you later." He left the kitchen.  
"Ladies, shall we take the spirit of Christmas a little bit further with some Christmas Carols?"  
"What?" Sara asked shocked.  
"You know, piano, Christmas songs, singing, some cookies, sitting together."  
"I like the piano part." Sofia said. "Don't need the singing stuff."  
"There's no way I gonna sing Christmas songs."  
"Spoilsport." Keith smirked.  
"Bite me."  
"I might do that later. So we'll have some piano songs and no singing? That's fine with me too." He got up.  
"Are you really gonna play Christmas songs on the piano?" Sofia asked.  
"Sure." He opened the door to his music room. The women were surprised he had decorated this room with Christmas stuff, even a little Christmas tree was in here.  
"You've your own Christmas." Sofia said.  
"Well, I spend a lot of time in here, I'd like to have it nice and cozy. Have a seat on the couch, ladies."  
"He's so smooth." Sofia sighed and pulled Sara, who was still staring at the Christmas decoration towards the couch.  
"I think you're fine with the classics?"  
"The classics, the new pop songs, everything that's Christmas."  
"Sara?"  
"You know 'Grandma got run over by a reindeer'?"  
"Why am I not surprised you ask for that? I won't ask you again." He smiled and started to play 'Silent night'.  
"Do you really hate Christmas that much?" Sofia asked when they sat down.  
"I don't hate it I just don't see anything special in it. I don't mind that everybody is getting crazy because of it as long as they don't force me to do stupid Christmas things."  
"What stupid Christmas things?"  
"Listen to annoying toys that sing for a million times the same song on and on and on again. They're placed everywhere that's like an assault. A physical assault to my ears and makes me aggressive."  
"But Keith playing Christmas songs on the piano is alright?"  
"Yes."  
"Because it's Keith?" Sofia smirked.  
"Because he plays one song and then another. He's not repeating one song all the time."  
"So he gets credit for the variety not for being him."  
"It doesn't look right seeing him on a piano, he's more the guitar man…drums…"  
"I know what you mean. Looks like under the smooth hard rock is a soft spot. And I think, you hit this spot."  
"Maybe." Sara smiled.  
"Good taste."  
"Yeah, I made worse decisions."  
"I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about him. He has a good taste."  
"Does he? Why?"  
"He chose you, can't imagine there was a better choice."  
"What about you?"  
"As I told you before, I'm not available. Relationships hurt me too much, I think I prefer friendships. I especially like ours, Sara. I never thought we can be friends and I was never so happy to be wrong. I'm not sure if I owe you my life, I probably do in a strange way, you got me out of Brad's hands, made me think about my life, got him in jail for a few hours so that I could get my stuff, brought me here and got me back…"  
"Sofia, you made the decision to leave him. I never took your hand and pulled you away. You said you want your life back."  
"After you told me very clear and brutally honest what I had and what I was facing if I don't change anything. I think I needed that, together with his words in hospital…they hurt more than any physical assault. I…was down and he…kept kicking me, spitting at me, blaming me instead of taking care of me…he…humiliated me and…"  
"Sofia, stop it." Sara took Sofia in her arms. "Stop thinking of him. He's not worth it. Stop punishing yourself, don't go there. He's past, if you keep on living in the past he'll keep on having power over you, he'll still be in control of your life, will be a part of your life. Don't give this power to him."  
"I try but…I think there's a reason why the department wants me to see a shrink."  
"Of course they want you checked after all this."  
"Yeah, it's more than a check. I had a check already in hospital, their shrink saw me once a week and he and the department want me to go on with these meetings. First once a week, than every two weeks. I've no idea for how long, I don't know why I'm supposed to do that, but I know if I say no, they won't let me back in the job."  
"Me telling you they're right would sound ridiculous." Sara smiled. She had tried to fight back her sessions with a shrink for a long time, had only taken them because otherwise she'd had lost her job. If she told Sofia it was good thing to do, it would be…well not wrong, but she wasn't in a position to tell the blonde to go or not to go to a shrink.  
"Life can suck pretty much, can't it?"  
"Ladies, I don't want to listen to words like this on Christmas day." Neither Sara nor Sofia had noticed that Keith had stopped playing the piano. He was with three mugs in front of them.  
"Your coffee smells strange." Sofia said.  
"That's because it's not coffee, it's mulled wine."  
"It is what?"  
"Try it." He handed a mug to both of them.  
"Red wine?"  
"Basically yes. With some spices, a Christmas wine."  
"Where do you get things like that?"  
"That's my secret. Try it."  
"I've to work later." Sara sighed.  
"I know. We'll send you to bed around two and when you're awake again around seven, there won't be any alcohol in your system."  
"Are you planning my sleep time?" She raised an eyebrow. Maybe they needed a serious talk about their young relationship.  
"No, I'm just remembering your sleep times from the last time you had a night off and tried not to loose your rhythm too much."  
"Got your ass out of the tight spot in the last second."  
"Usually people have their head there…if you're talking about a loop."  
"Aren't you supposed to play Christmas songs?"  
"You wanna sit on my lap while I'm playing?"  
"No."  
"Sure about that?"  
"Very sure."  
"Pity. A Santa Clause needs an angel next to him…Sofia?"  
"No way. That's Sara's job and if she doesn't want to do it, you'll have to be alone."  
"All you want is sitting here with my girlfriend."  
"Yes I do."  
"If she's hitting on you, Honey, tell me. I'll kick her out the house,"  
"You touch her and I'll kick your ass, ace."  
"Ouch." Keith grinned.  
"Yes, it will be painful for you."  
"I'm happy you know that I dislike brutalizing women in any kind."  
"What's about brutalizing men?"  
"I've always been a fan of a good fight, fair with fist, no additives, only your own body. If both parties want to fight. You should have enough guts to pick on somebody your own size or – if you like challenges – somebody bigger. Can be a lot of fun."  
"If I ever get a call from a cop they arrested you in a pub fight or street fight, consider yourself as single."  
"I'm too old to do things like that anymore." He kissed Sara's hand and went back to the piano.  
"Too old for street fights? He's…a little bit younger than you."  
"You're not making yourself popular, Sofia." Sara smiled.  
"How many years?"  
"Years? Months."  
"Yeah, sure. You checked him?"  
"That's illegal."  
"Want me to do it."  
"I don't want you to do anything illegal."  
"Alright." She grinned for a second and became serious again. "Can you take me with you to the lab tonight?"  
"Why? You're off duty for the next weeks."  
"Stop rubbing salt in my wound. I want to say 'Merry Christmas' to them, wanna thank them for being there and doing everything for me. I had so many visitors, so I thought I could visit them tonight, bring a few cookies along and go home later."  
"I can't drive you home."  
"I'll take a cab."  
"Okay, if you want, no problem."  
"Thanks. That means I won't drink any more of this stuff too."  
"It's…not my cup of tea."  
"I like it, but I think, this stuff hits straight in your head. I feel dizzy and could fall asleep right away."  
"It was no good idea to drink it with all your medicine."  
"Come on, it's Christmas, I want some fun."  
"Isn't the lovely music enough fun?"  
"Don't be sarcastic to me."  
Sara smirked. When the blonde started to whine Sara would be even more sarcastic.

Sofia could smell fresh roasted beef. The smell came out of the kitchen and reached her room through the open door. Her experiment with Kitty and Luna was finished. Both didn't try to hurt each other, but a real friendship wasn't it either. Thinking she could go on with this project the next day, she walked down in the kitchen. Keith was cooking, the roast beef was out of the pan and in the oven.  
"Smells good."  
"Thanks." He smiled, turned and offered her a spoon full of the gravy. "Try it."  
"Mhmmm. Mushroom, garlic and red wine?"  
"I'm proud of you, you've got a really good tongue. I'm thinking to add some herbs, what do you think?"  
"I think, you owe me something."  
"Do I? Like what?"  
"You promised me something when I was in hospital. You might have thought I didn't hear you or I'd forget that but I didn't. I want to see you in your hot, sexy and short Santa Clause costume."  
"Oh." He started laughing. "Actually I wanted to give everybody their presents that way, somehow I forgot that. Must have been distracted this morning."  
"Or the whole night. Getting laid is no reason not to keep your promise."  
"Alright. You take care of the food and I'll change. I can be a cooking Santa Clause."  
"Uhm, taking care of the food?"  
"Just whisk it so that nothing will burn." The handed her the eggbeater and left.  
Speechless for a moment Sofia started to whisk the gravy. Then she reached in her pocket and got her cell phone out. Sara's Christmas gift to her, a new cell phone with a new number. A new freedom.  
"Why do you call me when you're downstairs?" Sara's voice was slightly tired.  
"There's something here you don't want to miss."  
"Like what?"  
"Hot, sexy and short."  
"What?"  
"That's all you get for a hint. Come down, fast. Trust me."  
"This is better good." Sara ended the call.  
Sofia grinned. This would be good as far as her imagination went. A loud beep got her attention. The eggs. Keith had forgotten to mention the eggs he was cooking. She pulled the cable off the outlet and let cold water run over them.  
"Seeing you cooking isn't hot, sexy and short."  
"Oh, you're really fast."  
"What is it, Sofia? You stole ten minutes of my sleep."  
"Remember when I was in hospital?"  
"I'd prefer not to remember that, I didn't like that."  
"Neither did I but Keith promised something, he told me and you told me too and I reminded him of that promise. Hot, sexy and short."  
"Santa Clause."  
"Exactly. I sent him upstairs to dress up and I thought you would enjoy that too when he's in the kitchen, cooking as a hot and sexy Santa Clause in a short costume."  
"Only I am allowed to see him that way."  
"He promised me if I make it back home for Christmas I'll see him this way. Are you spoiling my fun?"  
"My boyfriend shouldn't be your fun."  
"I didn't know you're that territorial."  
"I am. But I made an exclusion for you." Sara got her finger in the gravy. "Tastes good."  
"Dipping your finger in my gravy means you weren't a good girl!" They turned and started laughing. Keith was standing there in a short red short, a short red and white coat, a Santa Clause hat and a jute bag.  
"Damn, he is sexy." Sara said, letting her eyes run up and down Keith's body. "That was worth missing ten minutes of sleep."  
"He shaved his legs, very sexy. I don't like guys in shorts and a forest on their legs. You can see the muscles better this way. Really nice."   
"I think I've to slap you, you're drooling." Sara bopped Sofia's side friendly.  
"So, who of you girls want to sit on my lap?"  
"She's cooking." Sara grinned and got to Keith before Sofia could.  
"Mean! I called you and now you use my friendship against me."  
"Cry me a river. In love and war…well, you know the rest."  
"Bitch."  
"Girls, girls, language please, don't fight, there's enough Santa Clause for all of you." Keith kissed Sara. "Wanna dress up and be my angel? I've got something nice, white and short upstairs for you."  
"No, I don't want to."  
"Maybe later when we're alone. No need to make Sofia jealous with my girlfriend. Here's some candy for you." He got a candy cane out of the bag and gave it to Sara.  
"Thanks. I think?" She looked at the candy cane. She wasn't into that stuff but if you got it from such a sexy Santa Claus…  
"And now to you, my lovely little helper. How is the dinner?"  
"I got the eggs in cold water, the gravy stopped cooking and I think chives and parsley are perfect for the potatoes later."  
"Sounds good to me. I can see you were a good girl."  
"Always, Santa." She grinned.  
"I will believe you that. Let's see what Santa has for you."  
"A kiss maybe?"  
"You want to be kissed by Santa?"  
"That's my dream since I'm a little girl."  
"Oh well, Santa makes wishes come true, that's my job." He got Sofia in his arms and kissed her softly on the lips. "Merry Christmas."  
"I got kissed by Santa Claus." Sofia sighed and placed herself in Keith's arms.  
"I'm not quite sure if I'll kick you or him first." Sara said.  
"She's so sexy when she's jealous. Let me give you your present, Sofia. One, Sara won't hate us for." He got an envelope out of his bag.  
"What is it? What is it?"  
"Look and you'll see."  
She torn the envelope and got two tickets out. "Michael Rock."  
"I couldn't get him under the Christmas tree, wearing nothing but a ribbon, but I do got two tickets for his show in February in Vegas. VIP of course, you'll have a seat on stage, can meet him backstage and have dinner and the after show party with him."  
"Wow…I think I fell in love with you right now."  
"That's alright. I'll be on that stage too, you can cheer for me."  
"I'll see Michael, I'll meet him, have dinner with him…Sara, do you want to join me?"  
"Are you sure you want to share Santa and Michael with me?"  
"Santa is yours anyway, all I wanted was this kiss. Lovely lips by the way. And Michael… Well, you can help me to get his heart."  
"I assume my boyfriend gets me in anyway, take the ticket for Greg, he won't cheer for Michael but he'll enjoy the music. We can have a house night out."  
"Perfect idea."  
"And if the three of you get two or three nights off, we can see Michael on stage in San Francisco, New York or wherever you want to see him." Keith said. "We'll have tickets to every show if we want."  
"I'm not sure if I get holiday when I'm finally working again but I can use me two free days a week for that. With the help of our supervisors we all three should get two free nights. San Francisco would be great, a perfect place for music." Sofia smiled. That was a great gift. And she had thought Keith had given her all her gifts in the morning already. He had hold back the best for last.

"I knew you can't stay away long." The face of Jim Brass was one big smile when Sofia knocked on his door. The captain was working, without a family at home, there was no reason for him to stay home.  
"No, I can't. I'd start working right away if I'd be allowed. But I wouldn't be any good with this arm." She lifted her left arm a bit. A broken arm took more than three weeks.  
"Come on in, have a seat. You'd be always valuable for us, no matter if you have one or two arms."  
"I'm not that fond of sitting at a desk."  
"We're all not but I'm afraid that's where you'll be when you're back. At least for the first time."  
"You make it easier for me to stay at home."  
"My pleasure." He studied her. "Are you alright?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine – as far as that's possible for me. The body is recovering, the mind is working on it too but…I feel stupid…I mean, I'm a detective and I…I didn't stop him…I didn't report him. It's against the law for a detective not to report domestic violence. I kept quiet for all these months and…" Great now she started sobbing. Exactly what she didn't need. In front of her captain. Wasn't it enough to drown in pity? Did she have to behave like a little girl?  
Jim handed her a handkerchief. "Don't worry about that. It's always easier to say than to do and that he was dangerous he showed. I wished we had never let him out, but there was no way we could keep him. His damn lawyer and the judge went along perfect and this son of a bitch out."  
"How did he find me?"  
"I've no idea but if the leak was here and I find it – and I will find it – I'll take this one to responsibility. I don't like it when one of my finest detectives gets hurt because of stupidity."  
"One of your finest detectives?" Sofia smiled slightly.  
"Yes. You and me, we've got a lot in common, Sofia?"  
"I don't think you were this stupid and let your wife kick you around for months."  
"No, not physically, but well, it went both ways. I mean on the job, we were both with the CSI, we both know what they want, how they think. That makes it easier for both parties. We both consider certain CSI people as friends."  
"I consider one special CSI as my life-saver."  
"Did you tell her?"  
"I did. She didn't want to hear that, said everybody had done the same but we both know, that's not true."  
"Our Sara, an amazing woman."  
"Ecklie titled her a loose bullet."  
"Ecklie has no anticipation how to handle people and he has no idea what is going on in them. She isn't a lose bullet, she has a temper, has better under control now, but she isn't a loose bullet. Some people do call me a loose bullet – and I harmed more people than Sara ever will."  
"Are you telling all this because I share a house with her and you want to eliminate any doubts?"  
"I think, there are no doubts otherwise you wouldn't stay there. How is that, by the way, sharing a house with three other?"  
"Better than I expected."  
"No queue in the bathroom? In the kitchen? Messy things all over the place."  
"It's not a student dormitory." Sofia laughed. "Sara and me share a bathroom, we're both not the type of women spending ages in there…"  
"You wouldn't believe it when you see you."  
"Stop that! And the kitchen…I'm not a fan of cooking, so I don't really need a lot of time in the kitchen either. My landlord, Keith, he spends some time in the kitchen. He cooks for all of us sometimes."  
"Gay."  
"I don't think so." Sofia grinned. She wouldn't say anything about Sara and Keith, that was Sara's business.  
"Good looking? Interested?"  
"Very good looking, but no, I'm not interested. Jim, believe me, men are very far down on my list of priorities. Even cleaning the windows is above it."  
"Understandable. Will break some hearts."  
"This is Vegas they can get their heart fix anywhere else."  
"Most of them will, if anybody is serious, he'll wait."  
"Nobody has the time to wait."  
"Probably right. Anyway, how did you spend the Christmas day? It must be an awful day that you come here."  
"It was quite nice, we had breakfast together, Keith played Christmas songs on the piano, Greg is with his parents, he wanted to take me with him so that I'm not alone at home but I prefer being here. It's a family dinner, I'm not family, I'm involved with any family member, so it's not for me."  
"Some friends are like family – or better. You can't choose family but you can choose your friends."  
"Yeah, tell my mother the next time she's here."  
"I met the captain when she was here visiting you in hospital. Why aren't you home?"  
"Because they're all working."  
"There's no difference if you're sitting here alone or at home. At home they'll come back and take care of you."  
"Here I won't be alone. I'm here with you and later I'll go out."  
"I didn't hear that as your boss knowing you're ill."  
"Sitting on a sofa drinking orange juice won't hurt me."  
"A midnight dinner?"  
"Kind of. Keith invited me to join his concert, said he'll make sure I'll have a lovely sofa to sit on and a fresh orange juice. He's playing Christmas songs until three and takes me home then. At the moment I'm not a moment of being alone home…I know Brad's in jail, he can't come after me, but…I can't settle down and relax. The shrink said that will need some time."  
"Oh yeah, the shrink. You found a new one? Or you'll take the one of the department?"  
"I won't take the department one, I don't trust him. You never know what he leaks to the Sheriff. I've no idea which one I'll pick…I've got time until next year…maybe I just pick one out of the telephone book. Aren't they all the same?"  
"Insane?"  
"Yeah." Sofia grinned. She was happy that Jim understood her.

Sofia couldn't remember that she had ever been to this club and she wasn't sure if she was at the right place here. All people were wearing dresses and suits. She felt not dressed right and thought the bouncer would kick her out before she could enter the club. But all he did was talking her name and brought her to a sofa – like Keith had promised.  
A little note on the table told her she was at the Christmas midnight dinner and dance party. Nobody was dancing, some people were eating, and there was no music, what kind of party was this? And where was Keith?  
"I'm sorry, is this place free?" A woman in her late twenties was suddenly in front of her. She was tall, around six feet with short brown hair.  
"Yeah, I think so." Was she in a mood for conversation? Sofia wasn't sure. She guessed it was up to the conversation, the topic and the other person.  
"I'm Kim."  
"Sofia."  
„Nice to meet you. Have you already finished your dinner or are you late like me?"  
"I'm…" She no idea, she wasn't late, she was in time, Keith never mentioned anything about a dinner. "…fine."  
"There you are – both." Keith, wearing a black dinner jacket, came to them. He hugged Sofia and kissed her cheek. "I'm glad you're here."  
"I told you I'd be here."  
"I wasn't sure if you didn't jump at the next case."  
"To be honest, I'd love to but they don't want me like this. I need both arms."  
"What a shame. Hello darling, I missed you." He kissed the other woman on the cheek too.  
"Sure you did."  
"I promise."  
"How comes you didn't visit me in over two weeks?"  
"No time, I was busy, I apologize for that."  
"If you pay the first drinks I might forgive you."  
"The whole night is on me."  
"You're forgiven." Kim laughed. "What do you want?"  
"Soda."  
"You're playing?"  
"Yeah in five minutes or so."  
"Alright. Sofia?"  
"Uhm…orange juice. Thanks."  
"She's on medicine, no alcohol for her."  
"I thought so with her arm." Kim left the table.  
"Hello darling I missed you?" Sofia's eyes went sharp and small.  
"It's not what you think."  
"You hurt Sara in any way and I'll forget my arm and kill you myself. Being a detective with a background as a CSI I can kill you slowly and painful."  
"Kim's an old friend."  
"She isn't that old."  
"We know each other for years, were never involved and will never be involved. You can relax."  
"Who is she? What is she doing here?"  
"The same like you, listing to my music. She's a fan of my music."  
"So is Michael Rock and I don't see him here."  
"Michael was unavailable, I'm sorry. I can tell you when he's back the next time, if you want. You're a fan."  
"Don't try to distract me. You and this woman…"  
"She's only a friend. I happen to have female friends as Sara has male friends."  
"You hurt her I hurt you." Sofia repeated.  
"As you said. Don't worry, there are many women in my life, you are one of them, but the only one I want to share my bed with, is Sara."  
"What's about the floor under the Christmas tree?" Sofia asks dryly.  
Keith started laughing. "Okay, the only one who's allowed to see me naked is Sara. The only one I want to see naked is Sara and if you start telling me now, you don't have to be naked for sex, I'll…tell the waiter not bring your chocolate."  
"Which chocolate?"  
"The one I ordered for you. It's dinner and I know, you had some dinner with me earlier but there'll be space for a piece of chocolate or two."  
"Are you blackmailing me?"  
"No, I've no reason to do so. I'll invite Kim over the next time Sara is home, if that's make you feel better."  
"Maybe."  
"Consider it as done." He bent over stroke with his finger Sofia's arm softly. "It's good to know Sara has friend like you. I won't hurt her, I promise. If I do you're free to do whatever you want with me. Men who hurt women don't deserve to live."  
"Aren't you due to play?" Kim came with the drinks back.  
"Indeed I am." He took the soda. "Enjoy the music, you won't dance, Sofia, that's nothing for you. Kim, you're supposed to dance. It's an order."  
"I don't take orders."  
"I tried. See you ladies later." He blinked at them and left.  
"Smug." Kim said and took a sip of her cocktail.  
"Mmhmm…very. You know him good?"  
"I'd say so, a few years."  
"Friends?"  
"Obviously."  
"Could be lovers."  
"No, we're friends. Are you investigating us?" She smiled.  
"No, I…" Yes, she did. Why did she get caught in the first three sentences? "Yes. You know I'm a detective?"  
"Sure I do. Just because I haven't seen Keith in two weeks it doesn't mean we haven't talked. I know you're living with them, you're a friend of Sara."  
"You know Sara?"  
"I never met her but I know she's special to Keith. His eyes beam with joy when he talks about her. I think he has a crush on her."  
"I know so." Sofia smiled.  
"Did he tell her? I know he's aware of his feelings, I'm not sure if he is aware of how strong they are but he knows, he has some."  
"He made it clear to her yesterday."  
"On Christmas Eve? That's either very romantic or very foolish."  
"Having a happy end you can call it romantic."  
"Oh, she's interested in him too? That's good. I'm happy they found each other. I hope I'll meet her soon."  
"According to Keith you'll be invited to the house the next time Sara's home…which is…not this year. She's working straight until the second of January."  
"No time on New Years Eve?"  
"When I think back to the last New Years Eves, no, no celebration, she'll work, she'll work longer than usual and won't have much time."  
"In that case I don't have to feel guilty when I ask Keith to come over for a party in New York."  
"You'll go to New York for one night?"  
"It's New Years Eve, right? I'd invite you to join us but with your arm you're probably not very happy in a bar or at a party."  
"I don't think the department would appreciate that, no. I'll stay home, might go over to the department, have a glass of sparkling wine with them. Or just go to bed."  
"No family?"  
"They're not living in Vegas." She wondered how much Kim knew about her. Did she know about Brad? Why Sofia was living in Keith's house? She never asked anything about the arm, the bruises.  
"You can't visit them?"  
"It's more that I don't want to visit them. I'll have a quiet New Years Eve if I don't got to the department. There's nothing wrong about going to bed early; especially when you know it won't be for a long time that you can sleep nights."  
"I can understand that." A waiter brought them a bowl full of chocolate. Kim raised an eyebrow. "I hate Keith."  
"For the chocolate?"  
"Yes. He knows I'm going to eat it and then I'll add another pound to the other twenty I've already too much." She beat on her belly that was a little big too big if you took a model as a standard.  
"You can die slim and unhappy or with a few pounds too much and happy. What do you prefer?" Sofia asked and grabbed deep in the bowl. She loved Keith for all these different kinds of chocolate.  
"You are slim."  
"I put on two pounds since I don't work anymore, I'll put on some more but that's no reason to stop eating chocolate. I try to make myself feeling less guilty by skipping dinner, making the bar of chocolate my only dinner, which is a nice try but when I'm honest to myself, I know it won't help. Sometimes we like to lie to ourselves."  
"I think I prefer the Australian way of looking at it."  
"Which is?"  
"Dilligaf."  
"What?"  
"Dilligaf. Do I look like I give a fuck?" Kim took a big piece of chocolate.  
"I like that one." Sofia smiled. She had never heard of that but it was good, she could use it on the job.  
"Oh this little bastard." Kim started to swear.  
"What?" Sofia asked confused.  
"Keith. He's playing 'Truly madly deeply', he knows that makes me cry." She started looking for a tissue.  
"Well, I don't know how the original songs sounds, he sounds great. "Sofia got her cell out of her pocket. She should record something for Sara, maybe she wanted to know how her new boyfriend sounded on stage.  
"You took a video of this?" Kim asked when Sofia put the cell away.  
"Yeah I thought Sara might like that. As far as I know she's never seen him live."  
"You and Sara are close?"  
"We are…now."  
"Now?"  
"Well, we weren't before…last month. Lets say some not nice things brought us closer together. We're friends now, not only colleagues."  
"Sometimes even the worst things have a positive side-effect."  
"Calling Sara or Sara's friendship a side-effect is not very apartmenttering. I consider it as luck. She, her friendship, was probably the best thing that happened to me in the last year."  
"You told her?"  
"No." Sofia thought about it. "No, but I should, shouldn't I?"  
"That's up to you, but my experience is, people most times have no problems to insult each other but they do not often enough tell each other positive things. Somehow it's easier to tell somebody what they did wrong instead of what they did good, how important they are and how much you worth ship them. We regret that instantly when we lose this person. I found out I regret more things that I haven't done than things I've done."  
"Well, I came down on her with a declaration of love." Sofia laughed. "Before Christmas when I mentioned all the things she did for me and that I've never been interested in women and should change that because of her. The same time I told her, I don't want to hurt her, so she shouldn't make herself any hope to get me. You think that comes close to being the best thing that has happened to me in the last year?"  
"She understood you?"  
"Yes."  
"In that case yes, it came close. Telling her again in the exact words won't hurt either."  
"No, it won't. Only if Keith gets me wrong and kicks me out of his house for hitting on his girlfriend."  
"The Keith I know won't have any problems with you telling Sara how important she to you. He'll already know."  
"He's pretty open-minded."  
"Yes he is. And at the same time very old-fashioned."  
"I can see that in the house, we're living in a Christmas decoration shop. He built a huge nativity scene in our living room. It's a wonder that there's no real donkey and ox inside or any shepherds coming along. The fitting dog for that is already there, lovely Luna." Sofia smiled. She had spent some time with the dog the last days. Whenever she left the house Luna was there, watching her, accompanied her. In a few days Sofia would try how Luna reacted to Kitty. Maybe they became friends and Sofia could let her cat run free in the whole house.

„Hey."  
„Hey." Keith put the newspaper down when Sara appeared in the living room. A warm smile was on his face.  
"Sorry…for not coming to you this morning." Sara said slowly.  
"Wanna come to me now?"  
"Yes." She walked to him, he took her hands and pulled her gently on his lap, kissed her cheek.  
"You know Sara, you don't have to come to me. When you come home and feel tired, want to be alone, that's all right. There's no rule that says you have to come to me. I don't expect you to spend every second with me, I want you to have your own time, your space."  
"Thanks…I think, I have to get used to having a relationship again…having a relationship with you."  
"Am I such a bad choice?" His voice was amused.  
"No. No, I can't understand why you chose me…"  
"Oh well, I know a few reasons why I want you."  
"You could have anybody."  
"Don't want anybody, I want somebody, somebody special and that's you."  
"I'm sure most people don't agree with you."  
"Do I look like I care what most people think?"  
"No, not really." She had to smile. She was sure most people didn't like his hair. Too long, his dreadlocks, not an ordinary job. No, he wasn't was most people would consider as a standard man you could take with you to your tea party. She liked his dreadlocks, just long enough to touch his shoulders. She had seen him without dreads before Christmas when opened them all to go to the hairdresser for new ones. And she liked the dreads more...well both was great...she was sure Keith couldn't look bad. Even when he shaved his head.  
"Good, because I don't care. I know some stories about you, Greg told me a few, so I know what I'm doing. I know I'm having a bitch."  
"What did Mister Gossip tell you?"  
"A few things, I hope you'll tell me more."  
"What do you want to know?"  
"The question is what do you want to tell me, Sara? Again, I don't force you, I don't expect anything. I don't have to know everything right away, we've got the rest of our life and you can tell me something every day. You can be my daily advent calendar."  
"Your what?"  
"You remember the thing I had in the kitchen? With the 24 doors and chocolate behind?"  
"Yes. What was that, I wanted to ask you that the whole time." He had some weird stuff. Things she had never seen before.  
"It's an advent calendar. It's an old tradition. Like the advent wreath on the table in the living room. The four Sundays before Christmas are the four advent Sundays. Being a smart woman, you know what the Latin word 'adventus' means."  
"Coming." Yes she had Latin in college. Most of the words she had forgotten, some were still somewhere in her head.  
"That's my girl. Yes, so these four Sundays are the last four before Christmas, and so the birth of Jesus Christ, is coming. We have the advent wreath on the table, each Sunday I lit one more candle, another tradition. Weren't you as a child not very anxious about Christmas? Couldn't wait for it to come?"  
"No." They never had a real Christmas. It was a day like another, the only difference was, both parents had been drunk and their mood had been even worse than on ordinary days. Sara had hated Christmas.  
"No?"  
"We…didn't celebrate Christmas."  
Keith could see there was a bigger story behind but he wanted to keep his word. He wouldn't ask her, he would wait until she was ready to tell him.  
"Okay. I was very anxious, nervous and for little annoying children like me, who asked their parents a million times a day when it's finally Christmas time, when will Santa Claus be there, they invented the advent calendar. Those are the words of my grandmother. On the first of December you open the door with the number one, on the second the one with number two and so on. This way every child can see how much longer it will be until Santa Claus is there. That and the lovely chocolate treat every day made me…let's say, my parents were less annoyed with me." He grinned wide. "You being my daily advent calendar means, every day I'll find another little piece of your life, coming closer to the complete Sara."  
"You know, you've got interesting comparisons. But cute. I'm not in the religious stuff but I like to listen when you tell me about it. Seems like your family is very Catholic."  
"My grandmother was, yes. My parents lived it, taught me all about it, but they let me make my own decision if I wanted to live it. I like some of it, some of the things they taught me, I absolutely don't agree on and don't live them. The Christmas tradition is something I like, sometimes overdo."  
"I like all these stuff – nothing of it makes sound."  
"Imagine how awful a singing tree would be." Keith laughed.  
"I don't want to imagine." Sara snuggled in his arms. Maybe she could get used to be in a relationship faster than she had thought.  
"Where's Sofia, by the way?"  
"The last time I saw her was two hours ago. She took Luna upstairs because she wants Luna and Kitty to become friends."  
"I haven't heard any screams, yells or swear words, it seemed to work." Sara grinned.  
"Or they all three died of a heart attack."  
"We'll found out later."  
"Yeah, she has to tell you about the woman last night."  
"What woman?"  
"Oh, she came to the restaurant I told her to come and she met Kim…maybe she wants to tell you everything because she wasn't happy that I've got female friends. She was jealous for you. At the end they enjoyed each others company, I think."  
"I like to hear it from you. Who is Kim?"  
"An old friend."  
"I figured that so far. Was that all?"  
"Actually yes, Sofia thought to tell me, that if I mess up she'd kill me. Sounded familiar to me."  
"They met randomly?"  
"No." Keith grinned. "I had invited Kim to come around, we hadn't met for a while and I thought it's boring for Sofia to sit around alone the whole time."  
"If I want to be jealous of every woman you know, you talk to, I'll be very busy."  
"Yes."  
"They are everywhere when you have your five gigs per week."  
"It's only this week, from the next week on it will be two."  
"Why?"  
"High season is over once New Years Eve is over. Reminds me, are you free for that night?"  
"No, I'm sorry. I've to work. The last years we were quite busy that night, probably I won't be back on time."  
"That's what Sofia said, I wanted to check with you. Would you mind if I fly to New York for that night?"  
"First of all, you can do whatever you want, I won't tell you what to do and what not to do…"  
"Sara Sweetheart, I won't go to New York if you want me to be here. I won't leave the city without talking to you." He kissed her.  
"Second, New York? For one night?"  
"Yeah, we're around a dozen people, the flight is in the morning, we'd party in Manhattan, take the first flight back to Vegas and with the time difference I should be back around ten in the morning."  
"The time I finished working last year. I could come to the airport and pick you up."  
"You'll be tired, no need to worry about the airport and me."  
"I'll be alright."  
"But does that mean, you'd be cool with that?"  
"Why shouldn't I? There's no reason for you to be here when your friends are in New York."  
"You would be a very good reason."  
"I won't be here either."  
"If you would be here and wanted me around I'd stay. Or take you with me if you want."  
"A flight to New York for one night…too expensive…where do you get all the money from? Do they pay you so good in the casino or are you such a great gambler?"  
"The pay is alright, nothing special that's why I don't mind having only two gigs from January. Thursday and Saturday. Gambling? I tried it, I can enjoy it for an hours but as soon as I've lost twenty bucks I stop."  
"Only two gigs, not overpaid…I must do something wrong."  
"I don't think so." He wrapped his arms around her, got up and started to carry her.  
"I can walk."  
"I know but this way you're closer to me. I like having you close." He kissed her cheek. "Or do you mind?"  
"No, I quite like being in this arms…strong arms…I like it when I can see your muscles under your shirt, very sexy."  
"How handy, we both like the same thing." He opened the door to his music room.  
"Do I get a concert now?"  
"Would you like one?"  
"Can you teach me how to play guitar?"  
"Sure."  
"I always wanted to learn that. And the drums. I reckon, playing them is perfect when somebody pissed you off."  
"It is." He sat her on the piano and walked to his cd shelf.  
Sara started to play with the keyboard of the piano. A long long time ago she could play an old Beatles song on the piano. With two fingers, not very fast but she knew which keys to hit. Maybe she could remember.  
"What are you trying to play?"  
"Let it be."  
"Start four more on the right." He smirked.  
"Thanks." She tried it a few times but it didn't work out. "No talent."  
"I'm sure you've got talent for everything." He gave her a cd.  
"Michael Rock…yeah I wanted to ask you, why do you know him? What was he doing here?" And more important, was he coming back? She and Sofia had to make sure they were around if he does. And that time they wouldn't behave like stupid school children.  
"We worked on a few songs."  
"You and Michael…?"  
"Okay, you leave me no other choice." He sighed, went to the big showcase, opened it and got a huge frame out. He turned it and Sara saw a gold record in it and Keith's name was together with the name of Michael Rock on it.  
"You wrote this song?"  
"We wrote it together. It felt good, we thought, people might like it, they did, we sold over a million, I got some prices for it and this one."  
"Why is it not somewhere in the house? On the wall where everybody can see it?"  
"It's not important. It's only a cd."  
"And there's no album of Michael Rock in the living room. You don't play the songs you've written or helped to write?"  
"No, very seldom. If I get stuck in past I can't go to the future. Beside, who cares about that stuff? A gold or platinum cd doesn't mean your song is good. It can also mean there were a million dickheads with too much money and they bought this cd because they were bored or stoned or whatever. If I listen to the stuff they're playing on some radio stations and what is in the charts, I wonder what's wrong with the people."  
"Oh, I see what's wrong with them every day, got to take care of the results."  
"Yeah, that's even worse than the taste of some people. Anyway." He put the frame back in the showcase and closed it. "Now you know why I don't worry if we're down on two gigs per week. I can use this time for some new songs, Michael wants to come along for a few days, we want to write and record some demos for his new cd here."  
"Michael Rock? In our house? For a few days? I can see him?"  
"When you're that happy about him here I'll lock this door. I won't let him steal my girl."  
"He won't do that."  
"Why? And don't say there's no reason why he should be interested in you because there're million reasons."  
"Bullshit."  
"Not at all." He took his guitar and gave it to her. "Wanna have a lesson?"  
"Are you trying to get my attention away from Michael Rock?"  
"Is it working?"  
"No."  
"Okay. Yes, he will be here, I think around the middle of January and yes, you can see him, talk to him. I'm sure he'll be available for a photo and will sign your cds of him."  
"I've got the album with the single you wrote, do you sign it for me too?"  
"Sara Sweetheart, I'll sign my name all over your body with whatever you want, if you like."  
"That sounds very…interesting." Sara let her hands slip under his shirt. Oh, how she liked his six-pack, how she liked to feel his skin and how exciting it was to pull his head down to nibble on his lower lip.

"What are you two doing?" Sara stopped on her way to the kitchen when she saw Greg and Sofia sitting at the big table in the living room.  
"Jigsaw puzzle." Sofia's eyes were glued on the little pieces that were everywhere.  
"5000 pieces." Greg allowed himself a short look in Sara's direction before he was busy looking at pieces again.  
"You must be very bored."  
"I am." Sofia admitted.  
"I love jigsaw puzzles, they relax you. Got another piece of the frame. Looks like heaven." He placed the piece on the table next to some other frame pieces in blue.  
"What is it when you're done?"  
"Landscape, the alps of the Switzerland."  
"Alright."  
"Sounds good, you wanna glue it on cardboard and hang it on a wall?" Keith gave Sara a cup of tea and put his arm casual around her waist.  
"Yeah I don't think I want to do it again. My grandmother gave it to me." Greg stretched his back. "You're more than welcome to play with us."  
"Sounds lovely but I have to work a little bit." Keith kissed Sara. "But I'll make a break for dinner later."  
"Do you cook?"  
"You're the woman, Sara Sweetheart, it's your job."  
"Thinking of your health it's better for you to vanish very, very fast in your music room." She showed her teeth.  
"Love her, she's rough."  
"A bitch." Sofia grinned.  
"Careful, Curtis."  
"Yeah, get her attention that gives me the chance to vanish. See you later."  
"Coward." Sara walked to the table, looked at all the piece. "Do you have a system?"  
"We try the frame first."  
"Makes sense." She took the box. If these mountains were in the Switzerland, she couldn't say but they looked nice and they looked like alps.  
"How did your building up a friendship with Kitty and Luna go?"  
"Well, after three hours Kitty didn't hiss and Luna didn't want to catch her anymore. I consider that as a success. We'll try it later again."  
"Take some food, you can bribe them perfect with food."  
"Same with guys."  
"I go more for kisses." Greg said. "They're sexier than food. Although I have to say, a great cake, heart shaped or some cream on a sexy body, is really…promising."  
"We don't want to know your fantasies, Greggo."  
"You have your own with Keith."  
"Jealous?"  
"No. I brought you here."  
"Yeah…you never told me he's a star."  
"Hm?"  
"His job."  
"The music?"  
"The people he's working with."  
"Like Michael Rock, he alone is worth living here." Sofia sighed. "And all the other stars he works with."  
"Did you check my boyfriend?" Sara cocked her head and stared at Sofia, who flushed for a second, trying hard not to grin.  
"I made sure he's right for you, is worth having you."  
"Now you know I'm not worth having him."  
"Bullshit." Sofia found a matching piece, smiled and got up slowly. Moving around was still something that caused her pain. "He can be happy to have you not the other way around." Sofia got a cd case out of her handbag and handed it to Sara.  
"What's that?"  
"His latest work, I bet he didn't tell you he has a top ten hit at the moment. He wrote that song, he plays the guitar and he sings some of the vocals. Together with sexy Mister Rock."  
"He didn't tell me, no." Keith didn't talk about his music at all. Sara knew he loved music, she knew he played and wrote it but she had no idea how successful he was and what he had already done.  
"Thought so."  
"You know checking things like this on people is illegal…"  
"I'm a detective I'm aware of that."  
"Good." Sara smirked. "What else did you find out?"  
"Keep him, he's good for you. But kick his ass if he leaves you for New Years Eve in New York."  
"He told me already, I'm working so I don't mind if he goes. We might be back at the same time the next day. You should join them instead of sitting here alone."  
"I'm fine, I'll take care of Kitty and Luna."  
"You're sure?"  
"Yes mom." Sofia smiled. "If I get bored I'll visit you in the lab. I'm sure I can do something with only one arm."  
"You'll stay home, there's no need to hang around the lab. You've got something to do here, 5000 pieces."  
"Yeah. Maybe I come over for midnight if you don't have a case that drags you out. Would be nice to have you around at the end of the old year and the start of the new." Who would have thought she says something like that a year ago? When they hardly talk any private word. And were happy when they managed to work together without bitching around. Things had changed and they had changed to good.  
"You visit me too?" Greg asked.  
"I want you there too, Greggo. Maybe I can smuggle some champagne for you in."  
"That would be illegal, detective."  
"I'm aware of that too."  
"You don't mind."  
"No…wait…what did Kim say? DILLIGAF."  
"What?"  
"You met Kim?" Greg asked.  
"You know her?"  
"Sure. She's a nice girl."  
"She was there yesterday night. We shared a table while we listened to Keith's music. First police than music and dinner."  
"What did Brass say when he saw you?" Sara asked.  
"He wants me back ASAP but I have to see a shrink. Department order."  
"You saw one." Greg said.  
"Yeah, they're not fine with my few talks with the hospital shrink. They want me to see another."  
"You did."  
"When? Where? Who?" Sofia couldn't remember that she met a shrink. And she didn't see many people in the last weeks. Most of them were nurses and doctors; real doctors. And not these kind of doctors who try to things in your words you never thought of.  
"Yesterday at the club. Kim."  
"She's a shrink?" Now Sofia was surprised.  
"Yes."  
"Keith didn't tell me."  
"He knows how much you like shrinks. Would you have talked to her if you knew what she's doing for a living?"  
"Having a long conversation with a shrink? No way."  
"How did you like talking to her?"  
"It was nice, easy to talk to her…wait, was that a kind of session?"  
"No, it wasn't. She can separate job and fun. But I'm sure if you liked talking to her, she can do some sessions with you. Better her than anybody you don't like, you can't talk to."  
"Why do I need a shrink?"  
Sara grinned. "Well…I know so many reason, most are not nice…"  
"Bitch." Sofia bopped Sara. "Mean bitch."  
"That's one of my nicer sides. But seriously, if you liked talking to her and she's alright talking to you, it is a nice way to get your shrink sessions." Sara hadn't met Kim yet but if Sofia could to her why not use that to have the sessions?  
"She's a friend of Keith, I might meet her here a few times…meeting your shrink in your house…strange…"  
"Not really. I think she's also Keith's shrink. At least, that's what he calls her."  
"My boyfriend has a shrink? I didn't know that."  
"He calls it supervision. Whenever there's something bothering him, he talks to her. No matter if it's the job, family or a nasty girlfriend…they'll have many sessions in the future." Greg grinned and ran away before Sara could get him.  
"He'll get that back."  
"He knows." Sofia found another matching piece. "You think it's a good idea?"  
"You said it was easy to talk to her, give it a try. Maybe you can even have your sessions here in the house. I don't think she expects you to lay on a couch, close your eyes and talk about your darkest secrets."  
"I wouldn't tell her."  
"You don't have to."  
"Shrinks do expect that."  
"You're in control about what you tell them. You tell them there's nothing they can't prove you wrong."  
"She's going with Keith to a party in New York for only one night. How am I supposed to see her as…an old, boring bitch? She's younger than I am."  
"You think you need somebody old to listen?"  
"No. I don't want somebody who thinks, women belong in the kitchen, men are always right and I should go back to Brad."  
"No good shrink will tell you that."  
"The best shrink doesn't smoke, doesn't gamble, doesn't drink and doesn't exist."  
"Get used to the thought but you don't have to make a decision today. Relax a little."  
"Yeah." Sofia looked at all the pieces still in the wrong place and sighed. She could use a little break. "Care for a movie or do you have a date with your man?"  
"You heard him, he's working. I saw somewhere the first season of "The Golden Girls", what do you think about grandmother power?"  
"Sounds like fun." Sofia smiled and let Sara pull her on the feet. That was one of the good things about living in a shared house, she wasn't alone. The thought of sitting alone in a strange apartment, not seeing anybody because she wasn't working, scared her. This was better, much better.

End of January

"Detective Curtis, it's a pleasure to see you again at a crime scene." Sara smiled when she saw Sofia walking out of the room. She and Greg got called to a possible homicide and didn't expect Sofia here. They knew the blonde had her first work night today, but they thought, Sofia would be in the department, pushing some pens.  
"They didn't bound you to the desk?" Greg grinned.  
"They tried but I could get myself a little bit of freedom. Brass took me with him, he said I could stay as long as I feel all right. It's too early for me to get my own case – bullshit."  
"You're supposed to start slowly not from zero to hundred in five seconds." Sara sent a smile to Brass, who was a few yards away, talking to some of the officers.  
"Yeah, I'm a good girl. As was the victim in the room, according to her neighbors. Samantha Murphy, forty, married, no children. She lived here for over ten years, got along with the neighbors, met them on a regular base."  
"What's about the husband?"  
"He's not here, we tried to reach him at work but according to his supervisor, he didn't show up today."  
"The husband, the favorite suspect." Greg took his kit. "I'll start in the room."  
"What do you think I'll do?" Sara asked.  
"Talk another minute to Sofia."  
"He is cheeky." The detective laughed.  
"Yeah, we should exclude him from several activities at home." Sara smirked and got serious. "Do you feel alright?"  
"I'm fine. I'm not chasing anybody, I take statements, that's all. Don't worry, there's a reason why I work with Jim. He wants to have me under surveillance."  
"I'm glad he knows you that well. Back to the case, what else can you tell me?"  
"Not much. Neighbors heard some fights the last couple of days, couldn't understand what they were about, when they met the victim or the husband in the stairway, they were friendly, didn't fight. The last time they fought was last night."  
"TOD?"  
"Ask David, he's in."  
"Alright. I'll have a look inside." Sara followed Greg in the room.  
Samantha Murphy's body was on the couch. Her legs on the floor, arms up over her head. Her throat was slashed and Sara could see it was a very deep cut.  
"Hey David."  
"Sara. I'm almost done."  
"Her throat looks like whoever killed her almost beheaded her."  
"Yes, that's why we haven't turned her so far. We need your help, I'm afraid we'll lose the head when we move her."  
"I took pictures." Greg put the camera away. "We can move her."  
"No defensive wounds." Sara kneed next to the body.  
"No, I didn't see any either. There is something under her nails, but that might be dirt. She peeled potatoes." Sofia was back in the room.  
"You played CSI?" Greg was amused.  
"It took you guys too long, I had a quick check."  
"She's nosy. Greg took the hand of the woman and started to scratch her nails.  
"Helpful was the word you wanted to use, Greg."  
"You might want to step back, we'll turn her now."  
"You need a hand?"  
"We should be fine but stay maybe we need another hand." Sara got her hands around the head, David took the shoulders and Greg tried to support the neck.  
"She died in this position." David said.  
"That's consistence with the arterial splatter. Whoever killed her has to be very bloody."  
"I think she got killed from behind." Sara said. "There's no void in the splatter, her killer was behind her, because of the lack of defensive wounds, she was likely sleeping or watching TV. When she realized what would happen, it was too late."  
"Your killer is left handed in that case." David got up. "I'll get her out."  
"You know if the husband is right- or left-handed, Sofia?"  
"I didn't ask, Sara. I'll do that now. Maybe one of the neighbors know."

"I'll never understand how you can kill somebody you love." Sara kicked her shoes away and walked straight to the kitchen. All her evidence showed in the direction that the husband was the killer. Domestic violence. The cases, that got to Sara. She was desperate for a coffee, a real one.  
"The men's way of thinking: if I can't have it, nobody else is supposed to have it." Greg followed her. "We're not the nicest thing on God's earth sometimes."  
"Not all of you." She let herself lean on his shoulder. It wasn't an easy case for her, her ghosts of her past started haunting her while she was processing the scene. "I really have to work on the distance. I lost my distance again."  
"You're only human, of course some cases get to you. I'd worry if you'd be ice cold all the time. Took me weeks to get over the attack and whenever we arrive at some place of gang violence, I feel uneasy. It's a relief all the time when you're with me, I feel much better knowing you're around."  
"Thanks." She hugged him.  
"Thank you too." He kissed her hair. "Living together is better than you thought, isn't it?"  
"Yes." She laughed and got out of his arms. "I like coming home with you, talking to you about cases and getting them out of my head for sleeping this way."  
"Keith should chase nightmares away."  
"He does but I prefer not to have them than being rescued from them. And you're best to talk about work because we work together."  
"A detective is pretty understandable, you can try a detective whenever you feel like talking." Sofia came in the kitchen.  
"There she is." Greg grinned. "You look tired, detective."  
"I am. After two months of not working I need to get the rhythm again."  
"Want some coffee and breakfast or you do go straight to bed?"  
"Breakfast. I'm even more hungry than tired. Somehow I forgot to take something to eat with me and we were so busy with the case, there was no time for eating."  
"I'll make some eggs." Greg opened the fridge. "Sara, is Keith home?"  
"He should and he'll be asleep. I'll wake him up for breakfast."  
"He'll love that." Sofia smiled mean.  
"This is a night working house, he has to get used to the fact that we wake him up. He can work at nighttime too." She left the kitchen, got up the stairs, knocked on Keith's door and entered the room. His bed was empty, looked like he didn't use it at all.  
"Strange." Sara mumbled and left the room. He didn't say anything about going out and not being here today. She checked her bed, knowing it was very unlikely that he slept there and went for the music room. No answer when she knocked, so she opened the door.  
Instead of Keith working or playing she saw a bunch of people all over the room, all sleeping or more asleep than awake.  
Keith was awake, sitting at the piano, playing a little melody. He smiled when he saw Sara, got up and walked to her. Sara, not sure if she wanted to have a closer look at the room and the people in it, tried to focus on her boyfriend.  
"Hey." He kissed her and pushed her softly out of the room.  
"Good morning."  
"I can hear an edge in your words."  
"No edge, I'm just wondering what are all these people doing here." It was his house, she wasn't supposed to ask this kind of question, was she? She lived here too.  
"We had practice last night, the guys brought some girls along, we celebrated and well, I guess nobody left. At least not that I remember, but I don't know half of all these people."  
"There was a sexy redhead next to you."  
"Emily."  
"So you know her."  
"I do, yes. Jealous?"  
"I'm not sure."  
"More angry?"  
"I'm not angry."  
"Disappointed?"  
"Stop suggesting negative emotions to me or they will come true."  
"I'm sorry." He took her in his arms. "I missed you."  
"You had enough company."  
"Did you never have the feeling of being lonely while you were surrounded by many people? Did you never feel lost in a shopping center, totally alone in an airport and there were more people than you wanted around you? Just because the person you wanted to be there, wasn't."  
She wrapped her arms around his neck and jumped in his arms. "I'm sorry."  
"Don't be, it's alright. Are you here to get me for breakfast?"  
"Yes."  
"In that case, let's have breakfast." He hold her tight while he carried her in the kitchen. Sara's head resting on his shoulder, she felt stupid for being a little bit mad and jealous and the same time she felt too good being carried by him. That was something she didn't understand about herself. She was an independent person, she never liked it when her lovers tried to be this close, tried to take her freedom away and with Keith it felt simply good. She loved it when he carried her around.  
"Good morning my faithfully law enforcement worker."  
"The music man. What happened to your chick?"  
"She's awake Greg, be careful what you say."  
"I'll kick his ass." Sara got out of Keith's arms.  
"Did she wake you up?"  
"No, I was awake. Don't wonder when you see a few people stumbling around, we had a little party last night and the music room is a little bit full."  
"It looks like a campground, there're people everywhere."  
"Somebody interesting in there?" Greg asked with a smirked.  
"According to Sara a sexy redhead." Keith didn't blink when the slap of Sara's hand hit is backside.  
"Since when are you looking out for girls, Sara?"  
"I don't, Greg. If I would look for a woman, I knew where to find one, the lovely blonde next to me."  
"Lovely blonde, that must be me." Sofia grinned and hugged Sara. "I love you too, my adorable brunette."  
"Another declaration of love, who cares about redheads? And I don't have to wonder how Sofia is between the sheets, I had her in my bed already."  
"A really sexy imagination, having the two of you in bed." Keith put the plates on the table. "A delicate feast for every man. What do you think, Greg?"  
"I couldn't make a decision which one I would like to have first."  
"They talk about us like we're an accessory." Sara eyed Keith.  
"Sexy ones."  
"You are already not that popular at the moment, my lovely boyfriend. Talking like that doesn't make me like you more."  
"Not? Well, let's try this one: Michael Rock is coming to our house tonight. He'll have some hours of work with me, write a few songs and in two nights he'll be in the Mirage, playing a little gig with songs for his new album. It's a kind of rehearsal before his tour starts next week. Would you like to go to the gig? If you can't because of work, you're all three welcome to take a look over our shoulders when we're working tonight."  
"That works on me, I forgive you." Sofia sighed. "Even if I can't enjoy Michael completely because I have to work, I can see him for a while, watch him, listen to his voice…will he play the piano?"  
"I'm pretty sure he will."  
"I'll melt in his arms. Sara, you have to help me, I'll lose it."  
"If you start drooling I'll pull you out of the room."  
"Thanks. Do you forgive him?"  
"He can't always bring Michael Rock along when he had a wild night with a redhead."  
"I know some other people you might like…" Before Sara could do anything Keith wrapped his arms around her, kissed her and pulled her to the chair. "Let's have breakfast, Sara Sweetheart."  
"He's got the power." Greg chuckled when he gave the eggs to everybody.  
"I don't have any power over Sara, I try to survive and hope that she knows, I don't have wild nights with a redhead. One woman at a time is enough."  
"And you remember what I told you about hurting her." Sofia got her toast. "I am still willing to kill you very slowly and very painful if you hurt her."  
"See Greg, these are the reasons why I love living here with you guys. It's never boring, I can fear for my life all the time."

"I love your boyfriend." Sofia sat on a stool, looked at the stage where Michael Rock was playing and sucked a cocktail through a straw. "If he wasn't yours, I'd consider him as my new lover."  
"Are you telling me to be careful because you want to hit on my man?" Sara was more amused than worried. She had found out, she was jealous of many women when they came too close to Keith but she was absolutely okay when Sofia was with him. They could spend a night together in a club, they could meet for a dinner or an hour in a casino, Sara never minded. She trusted Keith and she trusted Sofia, but she didn't trust all the other women.  
"He is yours so I won't do that."  
"You can hit on Greg."  
"He's too busy with my shrink." Greg was at the other side of the stage, talking to Kim. Kim had become Sofia's psychiatrist. They had one appointment per week until the end of this month. After that they'd meet for two months twice a month, after that once a month until the end of the year. That was what the department wanted Sofia to do. The detective wasn't happy with that but she and Kim got along very good. Kim didn't try to seek deep into Sofia's soul, like Sofia had said once. They could also sit there for an hour, talking about cases, what happened at home and how their mutual friends were. Kim never made Sofia talk about things she didn't want to talk about. They had talked about the rape, they had talked about Brad, many of their meetings were about these topics but when there was a day, Sofia didn't feel like talking about that, they talked about other things. Somehow the blonde felt every time after an appointment with Kim, free and released.  
"You think they are hitting on each other?" Sara observed her younger friend and the woman.  
"I don't know, they are friends. I like both of them, it's all right with me. If my opinion counts in any way."  
"Probably not."  
"Doesn't matter. Did I mention that I love Keith?"  
"You did."  
"Still do. I talked to Michael Rock yesterday. I talked to him today again. Right at this moment I'm sitting in front of the stage he's playing on. I can touch him if I want. I'll see him after the concert. I'll see him again when he's here in a month with his tour."  
"Sounds like you're a lucky woman."  
"I am. And I like your Keith too. He's doing a good job."  
"Yeah, wasted talent in a club."  
"He doesn't waste his talent, he writes great songs."  
"True." Sara had found out that Keith had written more than two songs that were in the charts. In fact, he was a very busy writer. Only a handful of songs were released as singles but there were a lot of songs on album of various singer and bands, he had written or co-written.  
"It's time for something special." Michael Rock took the microphone and walked to the edge of the stage. His concert wasn't published in any newspapers or internet pages, he had sent a message that he'd be here on Twitter, had left a note on his web page in the morning and a radio station had mentioned it the whole day, because they had tickets to give away. Around five hundred people were in the room, seeing the famous singer before his official tour.  
"The man to my right is a very good friend of mine, we worked together for a long time, he plays here in Vegas twice a week, so I can highly recommended that everybody goes to the ROCKER on Thursday and Saturday. Keith is his name and he'll sing a song now, a song he wrote and will be on my next single as a b-side. And because it's a special song, he'll do the acoustic guitar and I'll play the piano, nothing else. A premier, live and acoustic just for you guys." Michael walked back to the piano and Keith came with the guitar to the front. His eyes found Saras, he smiled made a kiss with his lips.  
"So romantic." Sofia sighed. It was more than clear for her, Keith's song had something to do with Sara. She was the special person in his life.  
"You don't act very kind but you're stuck in my mind. You're far away from perfect, but I'm thinking about how to get you in my life. None of my friends like you. Well I don't care, coz I do. They say you're rough I think, you're tough. That's how you act I think it's an act." The piano started in the background. "I'm lost in your eyes, the way they cry without tears when you face fears, coz monsters of your childhood are still in your life. And I would like to chase them away."  
Sara grabbed Sofia's hand. That was personal, he was not only singing about her, he was singing about her life.  
"I think you're sensitive, I think, you're a positive vibration in my life. You don't care what people think, you do your own thing in the way you think it's right. You don't lie to get success, you don't mind to mess up with important guys or guys that feel important. I'm lost in your eyes, the way they cry without tears when you face fears, coz monsters of your childhood are still in your life. And I would like to chase them away."  
Keith got up and walked to Sara and Sofia, sat down in front of them, being almost face to face with Sara, who wasn't sure is her face was deep red or if she felt that hot because of beat of her heart.  
"You follow your guts, get in trouble for this a lot but don't change yourself. And I, I'm lost in your eyes, the way they cry without tears when you face fears, coz monsters of your childhood are still in your life. And I would like to chase them away."  
He bent over and kissed Sara while Michael was still playing the piano.  
"I love you, Sara." He whispered in her ears.  
Sara wrapped her arms around him, managed to get him down the stage, in her arms, found herself in his arms and finally their lips met again.  
"I guess I've to go on without a second man on the guitar for a while. Oh well, can't blame Keith, being in love is more important than anything else. So let's play another love song, to stay in the mood a little bit longer." Michael got back to the piano and after a split of a second, Sofia was sighing. Her favorite song. Oh, she needed somebody right now. Was she allowed to jump on stage and sit on Michael's lap?  
"You're crazy." Sara snuggled into Keith's arms.  
"Crazy for you? Definitely guilty."  
"A song about me."  
"You liked it?"  
"Of course." Nobody had ever done anything similar like that for her.  
"Good. If you wouldn't like it we'd delete it from the single. If you think it's too personal, it's too much about your private life, it will never be published."  
"I don't act kind?"  
"You're the unkind one, yes, the bitch. At least that's the first impression most people get of you."  
"Was it your first impression?"  
"No, I knew enough about you from Greg. And you were nice when we met."  
"I'm not that rough anymore. Sofia, am I rough? Mean? Bitchy?"  
"Not anymore."  
"See…have I been any of these things to you, Sofia?"  
"Yes."  
"What?"  
"You were a real bitch at the beginning but that's forgiven. Don't worry about it anymore, I was bitchy to you too." Sofia grinned. "When will you write a song about me, Keith?"  
"I'm not sure if it's a good idea if I write a love song about you, Sofia. My girlfriend might not like that."  
"Sara?"  
"Saying get your own musician would make me mean again. You can write a song for Sofia, Keith, that's alright. As long as it won't be a single, only a b-side, I'm fine." Sara laughed.  
"I'll write a song for you, Sofia. About a beautiful and brave detective, fighting in the streets of Sin City, catching bad boys and…it will be an epic."  
"An epic is just perfect for me."  
"She's so smug, she's alright." Sara bopped Sofia's sides. When the blonde was that arrogant, it was sign that she was all right and happy.

"How did you know about my childhood? I never told you." Sara had her head on Keith's chest and listened to his heartbeat. After the concert and the after show party it was four in the morning when they all came home. While Greg and Sofia went straight to bed, Sara had Keith asked to play her song again for her in the music room. That had ended with her kissing his neck and, undressing him more or less and him carrying her upstairs for some very gentle sex and six hours sleep arm in arm.  
"There was no need, I could see in your eyes. I love your eyes, Sara, could drown in them and whenever we talked about things of our childhood, your eyes turned sad. It was clear, your childhood wasn't a happy one." He kissed her hair and played with it. His index finger twisted around it and made it curly.  
"I was in foster care after I turned thirteen."  
"Do you want to tell me about it? And why you had to go there." He got his arm around her to give her more comfort.  
"My father was…he beat my mother and me. You can't imagine how often I was in hospitals, how often I was covered in bruises. I thought that was normal, that it was this way in every family. Until I found out, it isn't. One day my father was chasing me. He was drunk and he was about to beat the crap out of me for no reason, simply because he could. I ran in the kitchen, tried to hide under the table. My mother was in the kitchen too, but I knew, she was no help. She couldn't stop him, he would beat her too. So there he was, coming in the kitchen, on his way to get me under the table when my mother grabbed a knife and stabbed him. She killed him in front of my eyes and I was scared she'd kill me too. She never tried to hurt me. Neighbors heard him crying for help, called the police and my mother got arrested. That's why I came to foster families. No more physical abuse but that was the only positive aspect of it. I never got a family I fit in, some were nicer, some were meaner. You can say my life began when I got out of the system and went to college. Books were my life, I could hide in them, I knew they would get me out of everything one day and they did. I was a geek, I got good marks and the university I wanted. I think becoming a CSI was my way to handle my past. Finding out who the bad guys are, get them in prison and make the world a little bit safer. It's getting problematic for me when I've got cases with domestic violence and child abuse. I think I could use some sessions with your friend Kim."  
"I'm sure if you really want that she'll be there for you."  
"Sofia is happy with her, she must be good."  
"She is. Whenever we meet alone for a chat I feel much better after that. I know I'm supposed to talk to you…"  
"Who said that?" Sara stopped him.  
"Well, you're my girlfriend."  
"Yeah your girlfriend, not your shadow. Of course I'd like to know what is happening in your life but you don't have to tell me every little detail. And there are some things it's easier to talk about with special people. I think you can't talk with one person about everything best. There'll always be a topic somebody else would be perfect to talk about. I don't take that as an offence, it's natural. It doesn't mean you don't talk with me about it at all, you tell me after you have it clear for yourself."  
He pulled her head up and kissed her softly. He knew it was difficult to find the right words to this but he was happy that Sara understands him. There were things in his life Sara didn't know about because they hadn't had the chance to talk about it and Kim knew him for a long time, it was easier to talk to her sometimes and then to Sara, when he knew, what he wanted. Otherwise he would confuse them both.  
"I don't have any secret of you. You can ask me whatever you want and I'll answer you honestly."  
"Can I start to ask right now?" Sara grinned.  
"Of course." He had to laugh. "What would you like to know?"  
"Why aren't you on tour with Michael? Or why don't you go on tour? They liked you, you can write the great songs, that's obvious, so why don't you go for the big career?"  
"I did that. Years ago."  
"Really?"  
"Yes. Let's start with a little bit of my childhood. I told you about it around Christmas, but there was also less nice stuff. My mother and father both were members of the New York Philharmonic, that's where they met, that's what they did for twenty years. My mother played the piano, my father the trumpet. He was also a guitar player and went on tour with various musicians and she played piano for musician when they recorded the album. You can say I breath the show business right from the beginning and so did my sister. My parents didn't see each other much when my father on the roads and both weren't faithful, started to drown their personal problems in alcohol. My grandmother took care of me when they were too drunk to do that and my sister followed their footsteps when she was teenager. She had never this close bonding with my grandmother like I had. I watched them all three drowning in their bottles, jumping at each other's faces when they were drunk, hurting them and me and I swore to myself, I'd never end like them. I went to Julliard to study music and with my parents being quite famous and knowing the right people, I came in contact with some important people, who helped me with my music.  
I was twenty-four when I recorded my first album with some friends and we started to tour America. The success wasn't huge, we played a couple of hundreds shows, living each night like rock stars. That was what broke us. I found myself one morning in a bar, having some girls with me I couldn't remember the names of, having a huge hangover and a dozen missed calls of my girlfriend on my cell. One of the girls had answered the last call and must have told my girlfriend very exactly what I was doing with whom, she never answered my calls, never opened her door or answered one of my letters when I tried to contact her. I realized I was on my way to become like my parents were. I told the guys I don't want to have these parties all night, want to concentrate more on the song writing, they didn't understand me and we split after the tour.  
I came to Vegas, knowing here was a friend of my father who had offered me some help if I ever wanted to work in Vegas. I took the offer, started to play in his club, he introduced me to some songwriter and I started to work with them. After two years I had the first top ten song. Or somebody sang a song I had written and it was in the top ten. I found out that you not only get more money by writing songs but your life was easier not being on tour. So I stayed here, worked a lot, played in the club, wrote songs for other people.  
Five years later I had a kind of comeback. I toured with Michael for a few months in America. It was the year he had his first hits. It was exciting to play in front of ten thousand people, it was better than with my band because everybody was more professional but being on tour for months, there was no way to have a relationship. I lost another relationship because of the music and made the decision when I came back, I won't do that again. There was no way that I could manage a love life and a music life. I did another tour with Maria Gonzalez and after that I said, I want music in my life, but what I want more, is a relationship. So I bought the house, made it exactly the way I always wanted my house to be and settled down. One year later Greg asked if I need some housemates and I met you."  
"Why do you think you can't have a relationship and a life as a musician?"  
"Because a relationship suffers too much when one part is away for a year and you can see each other only once a month. It isn't fair to ask your partner to agree with this. It's nothing about being faithful, after I stopped playing in the band I was never unfaithful again, but the pressure that is on the relationship is too much most times. I'm on stage, touring around, being busy, my girlfriend is here, waiting for me, asking herself what I'm doing, if there's a reason for her to worry, if I might give in one night because there're always offers. That is hard, that kills a relationship sooner or later."  
"But you'd like to play on stage? You'd like to go on tour."  
"I'd enjoy some gigs yes. That's why Michael offered me to come with him for a few shows, like I told you. I'll be with him on stage in Vegas and that will be alright."  
"Why not some more concerts?"  
"I don't want to leave you alone, Sara. You are more important than a few shows."  
"I will be here when you're back."  
"I don't risk us for the shows. There's no way I'll do that. You are more important."  
"He plays in Los Angeles, in San Jose, Sacramento, that isn't far away. You can join him for a week, when he's touring the west coast and come back. There's always a middle way. You go and play, I'll be here when you're back a week later. I'm not talking about being separated for months. That's true, I wouldn't like that and I'd have problems with that, but a week? Come on, we can manage that." She kissed his cheek.  
"Sofia has her tickets for a show you and Greg are supposed to go to with her, I wanted to play there with Michael. If it's really alright with you, I'll join him on some more gigs but nothing longer than a week."  
"See, it will work. Is he going to New York?"  
"Sure."  
"The perfect opportunity for you to see your parents. You didn't do that when you were there on New Years Eve."  
"No time."  
"Bad son."  
"Blame it on…I don't know, whatever you want."  
"So you play with Michael in New York and visit your parents."  
"Would you like to join me, Sara?"  
"What?"  
"We could both go to New York. I'm sure they want to meet you and if you'd get a few days off – what shouldn't be a problem with all your overtime – we can go there together."  
"Uhm…"  
"Alright, we'll talk about that later. I'll find out what date Michael is in New York and then we'll talk about that. But sooner or later they want to meet you, Sara Sweetheart."  
"Why do you always call me Sara Sweetheart?"  
"Because it confuses you." He kissed her forehead. "In a very cute way."

Middle of February

Some mistakes you made every time again. One of Sara's favorite repeating mistakes was to drink too much before she went to bed. With Keith having downstairs in the music room, she had made the decision she wanted to sleep in her own bed. Her bladder woke her up two hours later.  
She was almost out of her bathroom when she heard Sofia screaming. What did happen to her? She should be asleep and alone, no reason to scream. Without hesitation she opened the connecting door and stepped into the room of the blonde. She couldn't see anybody else than Sofia and she was in her bed. Tossing around, talking – or more crying – out loud in her dreams.  
"Sofia!" Sara switched on the light. "Sofia, wake up" When she arrived the bed Sofia opened her eyes. Confusion, fear and tears were in them.  
"What happened?"  
"You had a nightmare." Sara sat next to her and took Sofia's hand.  
"Brad was here. He said he wanted to finish what he had started. He wanted to kill me."  
"It was a dream."  
"It felt so real."  
"They always do."  
"When will they end?" Sara didn't want to lie but she didn't want to put any hope in the blonde that might never come true.  
"Give yourself some time."  
"I'm a nutcase."  
"If you are then it has nothing to do with Brad's attack. I knew before that you're crazy, chasing armed suspects and things like that…"  
"I was chasing the evidence."  
"Sure."  
"I was. Are you here to fight with me?"  
"No, I'm here because you were screaming and I can't sleep when you scream." Sara got up and walked to the door. "Stop screaming, will you?"  
"Tell my nightmare."  
"I will." Sara switched off the light and came back to Sofia.  
"What are you doing?" The blonde asked when Sara pulled away the blanket and entered Sofia's bed.  
"Chasing away your nightmare. Come here." She pulled Sofia in her arms.  
"Great, now it's not Brad who will kill me, it's Keith. Oh well, I prefer to get killed by him because he thinks I've got an affair with you than by Brad."  
"Keith won't kill you. He might come into your bed too and you'll be in right in the middle between us, the safest place on earth."  
"Sounds like a great fantasy." Sofia snuggled into Sara's arm. That was better than being alone. Having Sara around, knowing she'd take care of Sofia. She had rescued her twice, she was her guardian angel.  
"Why are you doing that, Sara?"  
"What?" The brunette was already half asleep.  
"Staying here with me."  
"Because you need somebody with you right now." Sara paused for a little while. "I know how it is when nightmares are haunting you, I know how you feel when they keep you awake, make you scream and feel real. I had them too. And I wished somebody had been there for me when I had them. I don't want you to be alone, suffer alone. Nobody should go through these nightmares alone."  
"Thanks." Sofia took Sara's hand in hers and hold on to it.  
"You're welcome. And now sleep, we've got a hard day coming up." They had planed to go to the Red Rock National Park the next day. It was their day off, the first one of two and they wanted to celebrate that with a little hike. Nothing big, Sofia wasn't able to make a daytrip and walk ten miles, but they'd take Luna with them and have a nice day in the park.  
And after that was their personal highlight. The concert of Michael Rock, that they'll see with VIP passes. Together with Michael Rock Keith would be on stage, a music concert couldn't be any better.

"I am in front of the stage Michael Rock will be on in a few minutes. I think I'll faint." Sofia tried to keep her balance by holding on to Sara.  
"Make sure one of us is here to catch when you faint. I don't want to visit you again in hospital. I think I'm fine with that for the next couple of years."  
"You can catch me when I fall, I trust you."  
"Thanks. Why can't you fall in Greg's arms?"  
"Because he and his puppy eyes are too busy flirting with the groupies. Oh, that reminds me, if I jump on stage, jump Michael and kiss him, will that make me a groupie?"  
"A crazy groupie."  
"I'll be a crazy groupie!" Sofia jumped up and down while Sara rolled her eyes. What did her ride to go to a concert of Michael Rock with Sofia? She had been crazy about this guy the time he was with Keith in the music room.  
Okay, maybe she could understand why. Michael Rock was…nice to look at. His long blond hair tied back in a ponytail; the dark brown eyes seemed to plea and beg when he was singing that his lover shouldn't leave him or come back. He was tall, over six foot, he worked out daily and what he did with the piano…Sara had never thought you could mix rock music and a piano, but man, he could. He was able to play a rock song with a piano and everybody was in front of the stage head banging.  
But, she didn't need to look at Michael, she had Keith, he didn't look too bad either. There he was, coming on stage in washout blue jeans, a white t-shirt, his hair tugged back behind his ears and his eyes on Sara when he smiled. Yes, she was in love.  
"You're drooling." Sofia nudged Sara.  
"I'm enjoying my boyfriend."  
"Get a room."  
"We don't need a room, we've got a house. If you're mean to me, we'll kick you out of the house."  
"First of all, you'd never kick me out of the house, you like me too much. Don't waste any time on telling me anything else, you spent the last night with me. Second, if you'd kick me out, Keith will get me in again. Third…Michael! There's Michael!" Sofia's attention was immediately focused on the stage.  
Michael Rock had entered it, smiled to his audience, sat on his piano and started playing.  
"I love him. I really do. I want to marry him!"  
"You're the groupie already."  
"He's already gorgeous. Look at him! Look at him! He is soo….je ne sais pas! So, well you've got Keith, look at your guy and leave Michael to me."  
"Don't talk in French because of a guy, that's creepy, Sofia. I'll leave him to you. To you and all the other thousands of women who want to jump him."  
"They've to pass me first. I've got a gun and I'll use it."  
"I'm not sure Brass will understand that."  
"As soon as he sees Michael and listen to his music he'll understand."  
"Crazy." Sara shook her head and moved her attention back to the stage. Her Keith. The last time he was on stage with Michael Rock, he had sung a song to Sara, Sara's personal song he had written for her. If he was singing it tonight again? She wouldn't be surprised if he did. The song was really on the first single of Michael, which was in the shops since two weeks. She hoped none of her colleagues would buy it, make the connection and play it in the lab. She didn't need any comments about her musician boyfriend singing songs for her and releasing it on CD. Too much attention for her taste.

"I've to buy one his t-shirts. I need an autograph on it."  
"I'm glad you're not thinking of exposing yourself so that he can sign his name on your breast." Sara chuckled. She had no idea how many photos Sofia had taken and wondered why she did that. Greg was filming the whole concert; he could make photos from the video later.  
"Do you think he'd like that?"  
"No. He'll prefer the young girls, he can have twenty-one years young flesh, why should he choose your…more than twenty-one years young ones?"  
"You are mean! I hate you." Sofia narrowed her eyes and shoot evil looks to Sara.  
"That's alright for me."  
"It isn't."  
"It is."  
"You like me, you don't want me to hate you."  
"Shut up and listen to your future hubby!"  
"Hubby? Yeeeeesssssss. Miiiiichaeeeellll! I need a poster for my bedroom. A life-sized one."  
"You are obsessed."  
"I know a star. I know a really hot star. I can behave like a teenager when it comes to Michael Rock."  
"I'm glad you keep yourself together when he's at our place. I don't want to think of how embarrassing it would be, seeing you sitting in front of him and drooling."  
"I do that all the time when I excuse myself."  
"Stop it."  
Sofia grinned and linked her arms with Sara. Teasing the investigator, Sofia would never get sick and tired of that. And since they've become this close, they didn't snapped at each others anymore while they were working. It was much more fun to work with Sara.  
"And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, we've got a special song for a special woman." Michael walked in front of the stage.  
"I haven't played this song before because I need a special woman for it and this special woman is tonight in the audience. She's an amazing woman, who put up with a lot of crap the last months and she deserves her own song. Come on, my stunning blonde, I want you on stage with me." He bent down in front of Sofia and offered her his hand.  
"Me?" The crazy groupie became within a second a shy woman.  
"Yes, you Sofia. Would you give me the honor to lead you on stage and sit next to me while I play a song for you?"  
Now Sara was sure Sofia was very close to fainting and she prepared herself to catch the blonde in case she fell backwards into her arms.  
"Yes." Sofia's voice was husky and her face was deep red when Michael pulled her on stage.  
Sara found Keith's eyes and saw the fun he had watching Sofia being stunned. He knew the fuzz she made about Michael and now he took her on stage. He hoped Greg got that on camera really close. They'd tease the usually smug blonde with her reaction for a couple of days.  
"As I said, this is a special song, I called it 'Sofia' and it will be on my next single. Now, we both will sit down at the piano, I'll play and sing and you'll be next to me, making sure I'm alright and don't mess up the song. It's your song, so if you don't like it, you can slap me and I'll stop." He grinned.  
Sofia got lost in his eyes. Not liking his song? It was a song, he was about to sing, he wrote for her, she was sure, she'd love it.  
The drums started, Keith followed with his guitar and, the bass was there and as the last one, Michael started to play his instrument. Smooth and fast his fingers ran through the keys.  
"She's the toughest cop I've ever seen, no murderer or burglar can escape her sharp and ice blue cop eyes. Hey guys haven't you seen the last who wanted escape she caught without blinking her eyes."  
He was really singing about her. Well, a cop with blue eyes. Sofia was sure her red face got even more red.  
"When she's out on the streets all night I don't have to worry walking home. I know she's there ready to fight and whenever I'll need her she'll be there coz I'm never alone, because I've got her. My stunning cop is on the streets again. My stunning homicide cop catches killers and mobs again. My stunning blond cop, no need to explain why she's the best cop."  
My stunning cop? He called her his stunning cop. That was better than an autograph or a life-size poster.  
"She's the toughest cop I've ever seen, she keeps Sin City's streets clean. You dare, you're not up to snuff she gets you and you'll be cuffed. So stay clear and be sage or she'll kick you in a cage. When she's out on the streets all night I know everything is gonna be alright and before I'll feel alone she'll be back with me home"  
She wouldn't mind going home with him. In no way. And she would make sure that he's safe, she would be his bodyguard and really meant it that way; guard his body.  
"My stunning cop is on the streets again. My stunning homicide cop catches killers and mobs again. My stunning blond cop no need to explain why she's the best cop."  
He stopped playing, let only Keith with his guitar solo be in the spotlight, tuned and kissed Sofia's cheek before he started playing again.  
"She's the toughest cop I've ever seen, she's my stunning cop. She's the toughest cop I've ever seen, she's my stunning homicide cop. She's the toughest cop I've ever seen, my stunning blond Sofia detective cop."  
Oh my goodness, he mentioned her name. Never had her name sounded so sexy like this time. Michael Rock called her name, on stage, in a song. He named the song after her. He was, he was the best.  
"Do you like your song, Sofia?" He whispered when he stopped playing the piano.  
"I love it."  
"Good. I know, you wanted Keith to sing a song for you, but I thought before he gets in trouble with Sara, I'll sing it to you. Is that alright too?"  
"It's even better. Did I mention that I love you?"  
He laughed and got up, took his microphone and helped her up.  
"That was a song about a lovely lady. If all cops would be like her, I think I'd like to arrested daily." He kissed Sofia again and helped her to jump back to Sara.  
"Let's go on, shall we?"  
Sofia almost dropped into Sara's arms.  
"I love him." That was all she could say.  
"I could see that." Sara laughed.  
"He's amazing, he…did you hear that? He sang a song for me."  
"For his stunning blonde homicide cop, yes." Sara had known Keith and Michael had been working on a song for Sofia. She was joking when she asked Keith to sing a song for her, he took her serious and knowing how much she was into Michael Rock, he got his friend to write a song about and for Sofia with him together.  
"I've to drag him away from the party later and get married. This is Vegas, for Christ's sake, if I can't marry him here, where else can I do that?"  
"Pretty much every where in the world." Sara grinned. She was happy Sofia had this little crush on Michael Rock. It let her forget Brad and all the bad things of the past months much easier. She needed more evenings like this one to chase her demons away. Well, if she got a copy of her personal song, she could escape the world whenever she wanted and hide in a world made for Michael Rock and her.

"She can talk again." Keith dragged his arms around Sara from behind. He had watched his girlfriend and Sofia for a while to find out, if it was a good idea to interrupt the conversation. As far as he understood from a few yards away, they were into some small talk and laughter.  
"The stunning blonde cop. I wonder how many mails will be posted tonight of desperate guys who want to know your name and telephone number. We'll have an eye on these web pages and on our detective. She might become a star and needs protection."  
"I am a detective I can…" Sofia stopped. "Okay, yes I can need some protection sometimes. Michael would be a lovely bodyguard."  
"Do you want his body or his guard more?"  
"I haven't figured that out yet." She grinned. "But you weren't too bad either."  
"Thanks. I played for my stunning brunette."  
"I didn't hear my song."  
"It was Michael's concert, I'll play it for you later at home."  
"There she is, my wonderful star of the evening." Michael Rock came to them and hugged Sofia. "I hope you're not mad at me for putting you into the spotlight."  
"She's a smug, arrogant and egoistic bitch, she was just there where she always wanted to be." Sara answered with a huge smirk.  
"Bite me, Sidle."  
"No thanks, I've got something more delicious."  
"Just like in the beginning." Greg joined them. "They are bitching around. I tell you guys, you couldn't leave them alone the first time, that was worse than a cock fight."  
"A chicken fight? Sounds interesting. They torn their clothes apart, jump into mud, wet clothes on their bodies…I'd have loved to watch that." Michael laughed.  
"Chicken don't fight with fist, they bitch around and everybody has to suffer because they're moody."  
"Greg, don't you have to go anywhere?" Sara asked friendly.  
"No, I'm yours Sara."  
"Great."  
"Do you want to stay with us tonight, Michael? Or is your suite calling?"  
"Let me see, a suite with a lovely king size bed or your couch. Decisions, decisions."  
"You won't get the blonde with you in your suite." Keith smiled.  
"Says who?" Sofia demanded to know."  
"Say I." Sara answered firmly. "Don't even think of it."  
"I'm an adult, I can make my own decisions."  
"You won't get my boyfriend anymore if you try to hit on the blonde or take her with you." Sara directed her threat to Michael.  
"Really?" He looked at Keith.  
"What can I say, the lady has made a decision." He kissed Sara's hair.  
"In that case, I'm sorry Sofia, there won't be a one night stand for us."  
"What about a wedding? We're in Vegas, the perfect place for a little wedding." The detective offered with a smirk.  
Michael Rock started laughing. "We can think about that the next time. I thought I'd have the cell phone number and the email address of the woman I'll marry. Call me old-fashioned, I'd like to know a little bit about my wife."  
"I'll give you my number, my email address and we can talk every day when you want."  
"Sofia, get yourself some dignity." Sara sighed.  
"Dignity versus Michael – I know what will lose. You have to take changes sometimes."  
"I couldn't make you happy, Sofia." Michael kept her in his arms. "But I can send you an email or a text every now and then. You know, friends do talk to each other, I've heard."  
"A text of Michael Rock. Imagine Sara, we're working and suddenly in the middle of the night I'll get a message of Michael, telling me he played my song. I think every murder case will be nicer after that."  
"You're not supposed to receive personal messages while you're working."  
"Really? Since when is Keith working in the department? Or why does he know your work number?"  
"Safety reasons. I might have to contact my girlfriend."  
"Sure. Stop destroying my dates with America's sexist rock star." She looked at Michael. "When you stay in your suite, do you come over for lunch?"  
"That's a thing I can do. I've got another night in Vegas before we go to L.A., so yes, I can join you for lunch. Oh, and Greg?"  
"Yes?"  
"I'll get you the number of the bassist then."  
Greg's face turned deep red. Michael did see how Greg had stared at the bass guitar player. He had to admit, the black woman had caught his attention right at the beginning. If he wouldn't be that cowardly he'd go over and talk to her. Maybe later. For now he was happy with all his friends around. A great concert and a perfect evening.


End file.
